A case of Postpartum Maternal death with COVID-19 in the west of Iran

Introduction:: There are a limited number of studies about COVID-19 during delivery and postpartum. Case presentation:: A 38 -years- old G3p2 woman at 35 weeks and 4 days of gestation was referred with the chief complaints of dyspnea, cough, headache, and fever. Pharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was negative for COVID-19; however, in chest computed tomography (CT) angiography, ground glass was observed in the basal lobe of the left lung. The infant was born via cesarean section with a gestational age of 36 weeks and an Apgar score of 8/9. No infant document was found about COVID-19 and other infections in several days after delivery. The patient died eight days after the onset of symptoms due to cardiovascular collapse. Discussion:: we reported the first death of a postpartum maternal with COVID-19 and a healthy baby with no evidence of COVID-19 and a gestational age of 36 weeks. Conclusion:: Physicians should be aware that pregnant women with symptoms of respiratory infection and pulse negative PCR test should be followed for infected with COVID-19. This infection may be led to maternal death.

Subdomain cryo-EM structure of nodaviral replication protein A crown complex provides mechanistic insights into RNA genome replication

For positive-strand RNA [(+)RNA] viruses, the major target for antiviral therapies is genomic RNA replication, which occurs at poorly understood membrane-bound viral RNA replication complexes. Recent cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) of nodavirus RNA replication complexes revealed that the viral double-stranded RNA replication template is coiled inside a 30- to 90-nm invagination of the outer mitochondrial membrane, whose necked aperture to the cytoplasm is gated by a 12-fold symmetric, 35-nm diameter “crown” complex that contains multifunctional viral RNA replication protein A. Here we report optimizing cryo-EM tomography and image processing to improve crown resolution from 33 to 8.5 Å. This resolves the crown into 12 distinct vertical segments, each with 3 major subdomains: A membrane-connected basal lobe and an apical lobe that together comprise the ∼19-nm-diameter central turret, and a leg emerging from the basal lobe that connects to the membrane at ∼35-nm diameter. Despite widely varying replication vesicle diameters, the resulting two rings of membrane interaction sites constrain the vesicle neck to a highly uniform shape. Labeling protein A with a His-tag that binds 5-nm Ni-nanogold allowed cryo-EM tomography mapping of the C terminus of protein A to the apical lobe, which correlates well with the predicted structure of the C-proximal polymerase domain of protein A. These and other results indicate that the crown contains 12 copies of protein A arranged basally to apically in an N-to-C orientation. Moreover, the apical polymerase localization has significant mechanistic implications for template RNA recruitment and (−) and (+)RNA synthesis.

A case of postpartum maternal death with COVID-19 in the west of Iran

Background: There are a limited number of studies about COVID-19 during delivery and postpartum.Case presentation: A 38-years old G3p2 woman at 35 weeks and 4 days of gestation referred with the chief complaints of dyspnea, cough, headache, and fever. Pharyngeal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was negative for COVID-19; however, in chest computed tomography (CT) angiography, ground glass was observed in the basal lobe of the left lung. The infant was born via cesarean section with gestational age of 36 weeks and an Apgar score of 8/9. No infant document was found about COVID-19‎ and other infections in several days after delivery. The patient died eight days after the onset of symptoms due to cardiovascular collapse.Conclusions: We reported the first death of postpartum maternal with COVID-19 and a healthy baby with no evidence of COVID-19 and gestational age of 36 weeks.

Scaphosepalum luannae, a new species, and Scaphosepalum anchoriferum (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from North-Western Ecuador

A new species, Scaphosepalum luannae, is described, and new records for Scaphosepalum anchoriferum from Ecuador are presented. Scaphosepalum luannae is superficially similar to S. swertiifolium but it differs in the dark green leaves, conspicuously nerved at the abaxial side and shiny at the adaxial side, the sub-quadrate petals with a basal lobe at the columnar margin and the lip with a truncate base without lobes with an oblong and flat hypochile. Scaphosepalum luannae and S. anchoriferum were discovered growing sympatrically in a poorly explored cloud forest from north-western Ecuador, near the border with Colombia. Key words: Ecuador, new species, Reserva Dracula, Scaphosepalum anchoriferum

Hydrochus spanglerorum n. sp., a remarkable, highly derived species from Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname (Coleoptera: Hydrochidae)

A new species of Neotropical Hydrochus, H. spanglerorum n. sp., is described, based on specimens collected in Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname. The new species has unusual external and male genitalia morphology, which are described, discussed and illustrated. Among other unusual characters, the males have markedly pitted and iridescent femora, and the male genitalia have the parameres and basal piece fused, and the aedeagus dorsal basal lobe located near the distal end of the male genitalia.

FMRF Gene Expression in the Nervous System of the Squid Doryteuthis Pealei* Hatchling

FMRFamide is a neuropeptide that is widely distributed in invertebrates and known to be involved in many physiological functions. Previously we noted marked differences in expression of the fmrf gene in the stellate ganglion of Doryteuthis pealei* compared to the central nervous system. In this study we aimed to examen the brain systems of Doryteuthis pealei* for the presence and distribution of fmrf-expressing cells and fiber networks. Late squid embryos and hatchlings were examined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in whole mounts and tissue sections. All central lobes contained limited numbers of scattered neurons expressing fmrf, but the FMRFamide-containing fiber systems were abundant and extensive, mostly present in the neuropil of lobes. Main clusters of neurons were located in the magnocellular and chromatophore lobes of the posterior subesophageal mass (PSM), and in dorsal aspects of the basal lobe (BL). Dense FMRFamide-immunoreactive fibers were particularly seen in the optic lobe (OL), medial and posterior supraesophageal masses (MSM and SPM) often with a commissural organization. The data show that the central lobes of Doryteuthis pealei hatchlings have a matured FMRFamide system organized in a limited number of centers, but with widely distributed efferents. This suggests that FMRFamide neurons are already functionally engaged in the late embryo. The localization indicates that control of chromatophores and fin movement are amongst these functions.

First record of the genus Brachyzapus Gauld & Dubois, 2006 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Pimplinae) from the Afrotropical region, with descriptions of two new species

Brachyzapus Gauld & Dubois, 2006 is a small genus belonging to the Polysphincta genus-group of the subfamily Pimplinae, with nine known species worldwide (Uchida & Momoi, 1958; Yu et al., 2012; Pham et al., 2012). The genus can be recognized by twisted mandibles, a very weakly convex and rather long clypeus with quite well-defined angulation laterally, elongate lower face, sparse pubescence on the eyes, hind coxal cavities separated from the metasoma insertion by a very strong sclerotized bridge, and the lack of a basal lobe on the ovipositor (Gauld & Dubois, 2006).

Descriptions of eight new Acrogonia species from the Amazon region, including peculiar features of the female genitalia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae: Proconiini)

Eight new species of the agriculturally important sharpshooter genus Acrogonia Stål, 1869 are described and illustrated from Brazil (one of them also recorded from Peru): A. amazonensis sp. nov. (state of Amazonas), A. clarae sp. nov. (states of Amazonas and Amapá), A. barbara sp. nov. (state of Mato Grosso), A. youngi sp. nov. (department of Madre de Dios in Peru and state of Acre), A. albertoi sp. nov. (state of Pará), A. tenuis sp. nov. (state of Mato Grosso), A. filiformis sp. nov. (states of Pará and Mato Grosso), and A. interrupta sp. nov. (state of Mato Grosso). In addition to the external morphology, color pattern and male genitalia, this paper includes detailed descriptions and illustrations of the female genitalia of three new species (A. barbara, A. filiformis and A. tenuis). The first ovipositor valvulae of A. tenuis are quite peculiar because they bear a large basal lobe and a projection on the median portion of the ventral margin, both displaying setae. Females of the other five new species are not known.

Impatiens matthewiana, a new scapigerous balsam from Western Ghats, India

Impatiens matthewiana, a new species of scapigerous balsam collected from Kerala, India is described and illustrated. This species is closely allied to I. scapiflora and I. pseudo-acualis, but differs from these two species by having moniliform tubers, rounded leaves, prominently tri-nerved lateral sepals, right basal lobe overlapping or clasping on left one, prominently two-spurred lower sepal and 4-aperturate with radial pollen. This combination of characters makes determining the relationships of I. matthewiana difficult.