Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). First identified in Wuhan (Hubei, China) in December of 2019, it has since been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March of 2020. In this study, we will provide a brief review of viral origin, identification, symptoms, transmission, diagnosis, and potential treatment strategies for the newly identified SARS-CoV-2 strain. Copyright © 2020, Valencia et al.Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), even rare, is a life-threatening, immune-mediated complication of heparin exposure. It is considered the most severe non-bleeding adverse reaction of heparin treatment and one of the most important adverse drug reactions. The pathophysiological basis of HIT results from the formation of an immunocomplex consisting of an auto-antibody against platelet factor 4 (PF4) - heparin complex, which binds to the surface of platelets and monocytes, provoking their activation by cross-linking FcgIIA receptors. Platelets and monocyte activation, leads to the generation of catastrophic arterial and venous thrombosis, with a mortality rate of 20%, without early recognition. The definitive diagnosis of HIT i.e., clinical and laboratory evidence, can not be done at the onset of symptoms because laboratory results may not be available for several days. Thus, the initial approach is to predict the likelihood of HIT, because in highly suspected patients immediate heparin cessation and initiation of alternative anticoagulation treatment are crucial for the prevention of the devastating thrombotic sequelae. Herein, we describe the pathophysiology, the clinical manifestations, the diagnostic approach, and the management of patients with HIT. Copyright © 2020, Patriarcheas et al.We came across a 20-month-old boy with Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) who showed atypical symptoms that were difficult to diagnose. His symptoms were different from those experienced in common clinical KFD cases. Hence, we report his case presentation and review the literature on the difference in KFD symptoms between infants and young children (under six years of age), and school-age children (6 to 20 years). https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ga-017.html A 20-month-old boy was admitted to our hospital because of prolonged fever and an enlarged right axillary lymph node with pain. He developed erythema, which was like rubella, on the face, trunk, and upper and lower extremities. The rash soon disappeared after two days. The cervical lymph nodes were not palpable. Hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were palpable. Leukopenia and a decrease in platelets were seen in the blood count. Curiously, leukocytosis developed after leukopenia was first observed. Serology titers for several pathogens were negative. A CT scan of the lungs showed swelling of the mediastinal 20, Inamo et al.Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA), also known as Parsonage-Turner syndrome, is an idiopathic disorder characterized by rapid-onset unilateral upper extremity pain, paralysis, and sensory disturbance in the distribution of the brachial plexus. The etiology is unknown, and there is a multitude of alternative clinical presentations as well as secondary triggers, which make the diagnosis challenging. To date, there has been no report of NA presenting with frank myonecrosis. In this report, we document the first case of NA presenting with multifocal myonecrosis of the shoulder girdle muscles and rhabdomyolysis. This case posed a unique challenge in the diagnostic workup and management as many causes of myonecrosis present similarly to NA, and NA is a diagnosis of exclusion. Our patient underwent exhaustive testing and several trials of therapy before diagnosis could be made. Such evaluations are expensive and carry risks for patients. As such, it is important that physicians recognize this unique presentation of NA. Copyright © 2020, Goetsch et al.Pub1 protein is an important RNA-binding protein functional in stress granule assembly in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, as its co-ortholog Tia1, in humans. It is unique among proteins in evidencing prion-like aggregation in both its yeast and human forms. Previously, we noted that Pub1/Tia1 was the only protein linked to human disease that has prion-like character and and has demonstrated such aggregation in both species. Thus, we were motivated to probe further into the evolution of the Pub1/Tia1 family (and its close relative Nam8 and its orthologs) to gain a picture of how such a protein has evolved over deep evolutionary time since the last common ancestor of eukaryotes. Here, we discover that the prion-like composition of this protein family is deeply conserved across eukaryotes, as is the prion-like composition of its close relative Nam8/Ngr1. A sizeable minority of protein orthologs have multiple prion-like domains within their sequences (6-20% depending on criteria). The number of RNA-binding RRM domains is conserved at three copies over >86% of the Pub1 family (>71% of the Nam8 family), but proteins with just one or two RRM domains occur frequently in some clades, indicating that these are not due to annotation errors. Overall, our results indicate that a basic scaffold comprising three RNA-binding domains and at least one prion-like region has been largely conserved since the last common ancestor of eukaryotes, providing further evidence that prion-like aggregation may be a very ancient and conserved phenomenon for certain specific proteins. © 2020 Su and Harrison.The effect of grazing on patterns of reproduction in trees has been little reported. We explored the effects of grazing intensities on reproductive growth, allocation patterns, and duration in elm trees (Ulmus pumila L.) at the Horqin Sandy Land, a degraded area in northern China. Current-year shoots were selected from branches and harvested from individual elm trees subjected to one of four grazing intensities (heavy, moderate, light, and no grazing). Shoots, flower buds, flowers, seeds, leaf buds, and leaves were collected, dried, and weighed. Results showed that the biomass in heavy, moderate and light grazing treatments is significantly higher than in no grazing treatment (P  less then  0.05). The reproductive allocation of U. pumila in heavy grazing treatment was significantly higher from that in the no grazing treatment (P  less then  0.05). Additionally, we found that reproduction of U. pumila ended later in grazed plots, suggesting the duration of reproduction is extended with grazing disturbance. Our findings suggest that U.