Plasma Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Pediatric COVID-19 Patients Modulate Monocyte and T Cell Immune Responses Based on Disease Severity.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality globally. The role of plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in pediatric COVID-19 patients remains unclear.

Methods: We isolated EVs from healthy controls (n = 13) and pediatric COVID-19 patients (n = 104) with varying severity during acute and convalescent phases using serial ultracentrifugation.

Development and preclinical evaluation of virus-like particle vaccine against COVID-19 infection.

Background: Vaccines that incorporate multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens can further broaden the breadth of virus-specific cellular and humoral immunity. This study describes the development and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 VLP vaccine that incorporates the four structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: VLPs were generated in transiently transfected HEK293 cells, purified by multimodal chromatography, and characterized by tunable-resistive pulse sensing, AFM, SEM, and TEM.

Assessment of ventricular functions by tissue Doppler echocardiography in children with asthma.

Patients with asthma develop pulmonary hypertension due to recurrent hypoxia and chronic inflammation, leading to right heart enlargement with ventricular hypertrophy. Patients with severe asthma can experience cor pulmonale later in life, but little is known about ventricular function during the early stages of the disease. This study aimed to investigate ventricular functions in asymptomatic children with asthma as detected by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE).

Accelerated idioventricular rhythm associated with propranolol treatment in a child.

Accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR) is a ventricular arrhythmia most commonly seen in adults with underlying cardiac disease. It is important to establish the diagnosis when it occurs to differentiate this benign phenomenon from dangerous ventricular tachycardia. We present the case of a healthy child who developed episodes of AIVR associated with propranolol treatment.

Hepatitis a with pleural effusion, ascites and acalculous cholecystitis.

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection constitutes an important health problem in developing countries. It is usually a benign self-limiting disease, but may present with atypical clinical findings.

Case Presentation: A twelve-year-old male with ascites, pleural effusion, and acalculous cholecystitis during the course of HAV infection is reported.

Improved nitrogen nutrition enhances root uptake, root-to-shoot translocation and remobilization of zinc ((65) Zn) in wheat.

This study focussed on the effect of increasing nitrogen (N) supply on root uptake and root-to-shoot translocation of zinc (Zn) as well as retranslocation of foliar-applied Zn in durum wheat (Triticum durum). Nutrient solution experiments were conducted to examine the root uptake and root-to-shoot translocation of (65) Zn in seedlings precultured with different N supplies. In additional experiments, the effect of varied N nutrition on retranslocation of foliar-applied (65) Zn was tested at both the vegetative and generative stages.