Children with severe neurological symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during Omicron pandemic in China.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of children with severe neurological symptoms associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the Omicron pandemic in China. METHODS: This study used a questionnaire to obtain data from pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) centers in seven tertiary hospitals in Northeast China from December 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023. RESULTS: A total of 255 patients were confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 45 patients (17.65 %) were included in this study. Of these, seven (15.6%) patients died, and the median time from admission to death was 35 h (IQR, 14-120 h). Twenty (52.6%) survivors experienced neurological sequelae. Patients with platelet counts lower than 100 × 109/L had a higher incidence of complications such as multiple organ dysfunction, mechanical ventilation rate, and mortality. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) always reveals cerebral tissue edema, with some severe lesions forming a softening site. CONCLUSION: Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 often exhibit severe neurological symptoms, and in some cases, they may rapidly develop malignant cerebral edema or herniation, leading to a fatal outcome. An early decrease in platelet count may associated with an unfavorable prognosis. IMPACT: Since early December 2022, China has gradually adjusted its prevention and control policy of SARS-CoV-2; Omicron outbreaks have occurred in some areas for a relatively short period. Due to the differences in ethnicity, endemic strains and vaccination status, there was a little difference from what has been reported about children with SARS-CoV-2 infection with severe neurological symptoms in abroad. This is the first multicenter clinical study in children with nervous system involvement after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in China, and helpful for pediatricians to have a more comprehensive understanding of the clinical symptoms and prognosis of such disease.

Virulence, Antibiotic Resistance, and Phylogenetic Relationships of Aeromonas spp. Carried by Migratory Birds in China.

This study aimed to evaluate antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and the genetic diversity of Aeromonas isolated from migratory birds from Guangxi Province, Guangdong Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Jiangxi Province, and Inner Mongolia in China. A total of 810 samples were collected, including fresh feces, cloacal swabs, and throat swabs. The collected samples were processed and subjected to bacteriological examination. The resistance to 21 antibiotics was evaluated. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using concatenated gltA-groL-gyrB-metG-PPSA-recA sequences. Eight putative virulence factors were identified by PCR and sequencing, and a biofilm formation assay was performed using a modified microtiter plate method. In total, 176 Aeromonas isolates were isolated including A. sobria, A. hydrophila, A. veronii, and A. caviae. All isolates showed variable resistance against all 16 tested antibiotic discs, and only one antibiotic had no reference standard. Six kinds of virulence gene markers were discovered, and the detection rates were 46.0% (hlyA), 76.1% (aerA), 52.3% (alt), 4.5% (ast), 54.0% (fla), and 64.2% (lip). These strains were able to form biofilms with distinct magnitudes; 102 were weakly adherent, 14 were moderately adherent, 60 were non-adherent, and none were strongly adherent. Our results suggest that migratory birds carry highly virulent and multidrug-resistant Aeromonas and spread them around the world through migration, which is a potential threat to public health.

Arabidopsis Transcription Factors SPL1 and SPL12 Confer Plant Thermotolerance at Reproductive Stage.

Plant reproductive organs are vulnerable to heat, but regulation of heat-shock responses in inflorescence is largely uncharacterized. Here, we report that two of the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcriptional factors in Arabidopsis, SPL1 and SPL12, act redundantly in thermotolerance at the reproductive stage. The spl1-1 spl12-1 inflorescences displayed hypersensitivity to heat stress, whereas overexpression of SPL1 or SPL12 enhanced the thermotolerance in both Arabidopsis and tobacco. RNA sequencing revealed 1939 upregulated and 1479 downregulated genes in wild-type inflorescence upon heat stress, among which one-quarter (1,040) was misregulated in spl1-1 spl12-1, indicating that SPL1 and SPL12 contribute greatly to the heat-triggered transcriptional reprogramming in inflorescence. Notably, heat stress induced a large number of abscisic acid (ABA) responsive genes, of which ∼39% were disturbed in heat induction in spl1-1 spl12-1 inflorescence. Preapplication of ABA and overexpression of SPL1 restored the inflorescence thermotolerance in spl1-1 spl12-1 and in the ABA biosynthesis mutant aba2-1, but not in the pyl sextuple mutant defective in ABA receptors PYR1/PYL1/PYL2/PYL4/PYL5/PYL8. Thus, inflorescence thermotolerance conferred by SPL1 and SPL2 involves PYL-mediated ABA signaling. The molecular network consisting of SPL1 and SPL12 illustrated here shed new light on the mechanisms of plant thermotolerance at the reproductive stage.

[Light and temperature indices during the seeding stage of spring maize in Hetao irrigation district, Inner Mongolia, China].

We collected the experimental dataset of a spring-maize in Hetao irrigation district (Bayannaoer, Inner Mongolia) during 2012 and 2013, as well as the crop data observed in related agrometeorological stations to investigate the impacts of light and temperature variation on maize development during the seedling stage to derive adequate light and temperature indices for different suitability. Furthermore, polynomial fitting was applied to interpolate the temperature indices for each day of the whole seedling period to draw the dynamics of the temperature indices and to better characterize its influence on maize development during the seedling stage. The results suggested that the emergence and development rates increased by 11% and 12%, respectively when the average temperature increased 1 °C during the sowing-emergence period and emergence-jointing period, and the biological lowest temperature was 7.4 and 11.9°C , respectively. The optimum temperature at the sowing-emergence stage ranged from 16.0 to 18.0°C , and the leaf area index at the three-leaf stage reached 0.0172 and above. The optimum temperature at the emergence-jointing stage ranged from 21.6 to 23.0°0C , and the photosynthesis/growth of plant tissue was positively correlated with the temperature. The leaf area index in the jointing period could reach 2.15 and the plant height was 120 cm. At the emergence-jointing stage, when the sunshine percentage 74%, or the daily sunshine hours ≥11.0 h . d-1 , or the total sunshine hours ≥540 h, the dry mass of plant tissue could

Control of cotton fibre elongation by a homeodomain transcription factor GhHOX3.

Cotton fibres are unusually long, single-celled epidermal seed trichomes and a model for plant cell growth, but little is known about the regulation of fibre cell elongation. Here we report that a homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) transcription factor, GhHOX3, controls cotton fibre elongation. GhHOX3 genes are localized to the 12th homoeologous chromosome set of allotetraploid cotton cultivars, associated with quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for fibre length. Silencing of GhHOX3 greatly reduces (>80%) fibre length, whereas its overexpression leads to longer fibre. Combined transcriptomic and biochemical analyses identify target genes of GhHOX3 that also contain the L1-box cis-element, including two cell wall loosening protein genes GhRDL1 and GhEXPA1. GhHOX3 interacts with GhHD1, another homeodomain protein, resulting in enhanced transcriptional activity, and with cotton DELLA, GhSLR1, repressor of the growth hormone gibberellin (GA). GhSLR1 interferes with the GhHOX3-GhHD1 interaction and represses target gene transcription. Our results uncover a novel mechanism whereby a homeodomain protein transduces GA signal to promote fibre cell elongation.

Interaction between two timing microRNAs controls trichome distribution in Arabidopsis.

The miR156-targeted squamosa promoter binding protein like (SPL) transcription factors function as an endogenous age cue in regulating plant phase transition and phase-dependent morphogenesis, but the control of SPL output remains poorly understood. In Arabidopsis thaliana the spatial pattern of trichome is a hallmark of phase transition and governed by SPLs. Here, by dissecting the regulatory network controlling trichome formation on stem, we show that the miR171-targeted lost meristems 1 (LOM1), LOM2 and LOM3, encoding GRAS family members previously known to maintain meristem cell polarity, are involved in regulating the SPL activity. Reduced LOM abundance by overexpression of miR171 led to decreased trichome density on stems and floral organs, and conversely, constitutive expression of the miR171-resistant LOM (rLOM) genes promoted trichome production, indicating that LOMs enhance trichome initiation at reproductive stage. Genetic analysis demonstrated LOMs shaping trichome distribution is dependent on SPLs, which positively regulate trichome repressor genes TRICHOMELESS 1 (TCL1) and TRIPTYCHON (TRY). Physical interaction between the N-terminus of LOMs and SPLs underpins the repression of SPL activity. Importantly, other growth and developmental events, such as flowering, are also modulated by LOM-SPL interaction, indicating a broad effect of the LOM-SPL interplay. Furthermore, we provide evidence that MIR171 gene expression is regulated by its targeted LOMs, forming a homeostatic feedback loop. Our data uncover an antagonistic interplay between the two timing miRNAs in controlling plant growth, phase transition and morphogenesis through direct interaction of their targets.

[Phosphate adsorption characteristics on the desert particulates of inflow Yellow River].

Adsorption behaviors of phosphate on the desert particulates of inflow Yellow River were investigated in natural water (river water and sea water) and the experimental data was fitted by both the improved Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm adsorption models. The results show that (1) With more clear physical meaning and more reasonable fitting parameters, the improved Langmuir isotherm adsorption model is much better for describing phosphate adsorption on the desert particulates than the improved Freundlich isotherm adsorption model; (2) The maximum phosphorus (P) adsorption capacity Qmac is in the range of 41.322-357.143 mg x kg(-1), which is the biggest in Y2 (Juyanhai Lake particulates). There is remarkable positive correlation between Qmax and organic matter of the particulates (Y1-Y5); (3) Except for Y1 (Badain Jaran Desert particulates), the EPC0 (zero equilibrium P concentration) of the particulates are higher than the concentration of P in corresponding water. The EPC0 of P adsorption on Y1 in Yellow River is lower than P concentration in corresponding water (0.010 mg x L(-1) < 0.053 mg x L(-1)), while the EPC0 of P adsorption on Y1 in Bohai Sea water is higher than the P concentration in their corresponding water (0.109 mg x L(-1) > 0.074 mg x L(-1)), which shows that Y1 adsorbs P from the water of the Yellow River, then it releases its NAP (native adsorbed exchangeable phosphorus) into Bohai Seawater. However, in the process of the P exchange between other desert particulates and their corresponding water, only desorption phenomenon were observed, which means all other desert particulates release P to their corresponding water; (4) The adsorption isotherms of phosphate on the desert particulates of inflow Yellow River are cross-axis-type with over 0.00, a new cross-axis-type adsorption-desorption model, which provide a better explanation for adsorption characteristics of P and for the dual role of natural particulates.

[Temporal change in annual air temperature and heat island effect in a coastal city and an inland city at mid-latitude in China during 1956-1998].

Temporal changes in air temperature and urban heat island (UHI) effects during 1956-1998 were compared between a coastal city, Ji' nan, and an inland city, Xi' an, which were similar in latitude, size and development. During 1956-1978, except that the annual mean minimum temperature in Ji' nan increased by 0.37 degrees C x 10 a(-1), the temperature variables in the two cities did not display any apparent trend. During 1979-1998, all temperature variables of the two cities showed an increasing trend. Comparing with that in Ji' nan, the increasing rate of annual mean maximum temperature and annual mean temperature in Xi' an was greater, but that of annual mean minimum temperature was smaller. In the two cities, heat island effect occurred during 1956-1978 but without any apparent trend, whereas during 1979-1998, this effect increased with time, especially in Xi' an where the annual mean minimum temperature and annual mean temperature increased by 0.22 degrees C x 10 a(-1) and 0.32 degrees C x 10 a(-1), respectively. Both the level and the inter-annual variation of the heat island effect were much greater in Ji' nan than in Xi' an, but the increasing rate of this effect was greater in Xi' an than in Ji' nan. Obvious differences were observed in the increasing rate of annual mean maximum air temperature, annual mean air temperature, and annual mean minimum temperature as well as the heat island effect in Ji' nan, whereas negligible differences were found in Xi' an. Among the three temperature variables, annual mean minimum temperature displayed the most obvious increasing trend and was most affected by heat island effect, while annual mean maximum temperature was most variable inter-annually. Geographical location not only affected the magnitude of urban warming, but also affected the mode of urban warming and the strength of heat island effect.

[Effects of electro-warmed needle of inner-Mongolian medicine on serum TNF-alpha, ACTH and corticosterone contents in fatigue rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electro-warmed needle (EWN, of Inner-Mongolian medicine) on fatigue rats' behavior, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortex (HPA) axis activity and immune system so as to reveal its neuro-endocrino-immune mechanism. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomized into control (n=20), model (n=20) and EWN (n=19) groups. Fatigue model was established by forcing the rat to swim in a water pool till exhaustion, once daily, continuously for 21 days. "Dinghui" (central spot over the bregmatic bone) and "Xinxue" (the center of the depression beneath the 7th thoracic vertebra) were punctured with silver needles which were warmed electrically by using a MLY-I Electrical Needle-warming Apparatus, once every 3 days, 7 sessions altogether. On the 21st day of modeling, swim-exhaustion duration (SED), and immobility time and struggle times in tail suspension test were measured. Twenty-four hours after the last swim, the rats' serum TNF-alpha, ACTH an corticosterone contents were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Compared with control group SED, immobility time and struggle times in tail suspension test in model group decreased, increased and lowered respectively and significantly (P < 0.01, 0.05); while in comparison with model group, the first 2 indexes of EWN group increased and lowered respectively and significantly (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between EWN and model groups in struggle times (P > 0.05). Compared with control group, serum TNF-alpha, ACTH and corticosterone contents in model group increased significantly (P < 0.01), while in comparison with model group, the 3 indexes of EWN group were significantly lower (P < 0.01, 0.05). CONCLUSION: EWN treatment can reduce fatigue-induced increase of serum TNF-alpha, ACTH and corticosterone levels, and raise motor ability, suggesting a favorable regulation of HPA axis and immune function after EWN and improvement of fatigue in fatigue