Publications

Data on the vertical transmission rate of COVID-19 in pregnancy are limited, while data reporting mother-fetal transmission in the second trimester of pregnancy are controversial. We described a case of second trimester twin stillbirth in a woman positive for SARS-CoV-2 in which, despite the absence of respiratory syndrome, placental and fetal markers of infection were detected. The patient developed a clinical chorioamnionitis and spontaneously delivered two stillborn infants.

Several vaccines have been introduced to combat the coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines include mRNA-containing lipid nanoparticles or adenoviral vectors that encode the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, inactivated virus, or protein subunits.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a thermoregulatory fat with energy-consuming properties. The location and heterogeneity of this tissue makes it complicated to sample before and after interventions in humans, and an in vitro model for mechanistic and molecular studies is therefore of great value. We here describe a protocol for isolation of progenitors from the stromal vascular fraction of BAT biopsies obtained surgically from adult humans. We further present how these cells are differentiated in vitro and finally how they are characterized for thermogenic capacity.

Here, we present a step-by-step protocol for three-dimensional reconstruction of astrocyte morphology, applied to the central amygdala oxytocin receptor-expressing astrocytes. This includes RNAse-free perfusion, combination of RNAscope and immunohistochemistry, and confocal imaging. This protocol provides detailed information about tissue handling and a comprehensive description of the RNAScope technique to label rat and mouse oxytocin receptor mRNA.

(1) Background: Lizard tail regeneration provides a unique model of blastema-based tissue regeneration for large-scale appendage replacement in amniotes. Green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis) blastemas contain fibroblastic connective tissue cells (FCTCs), which respond to hedgehog signaling to create cartilage in vivo. However, an in vitro model of the blastema has not previously been achieved in culture.

The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants possessing large numbers of mutations has raised concerns of decreased effectiveness of current vaccines, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, and antiviral drugs for COVID-19 against these variants1,2. While the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, has become dominant in many countries, BA.2 has been detected in at least 67 countries and has become dominant in the Philippines, India, and Denmark.

Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) share misleadingly similar names, soft texture and brown color macroscopically, osteoclast-like multinucleated giant cells microscopically and localisation in the musculoskeletal system. However, these two tumor types are biologically and clinically two distinct entities with different natural courses of progression and considerably different modes of surgical and medical treatment.

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is a known cause of enteric disease in cattle; however, its role in bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is poorly understood, with a dearth of evidence of the detection of the virus in respiratory tract lesions. We coupled histologic evaluation of tracheal and lower airway tissues from 104 calves with BRD in which BCoV was detected in the lungs via PCR followed by direct detection of BCoV by immunohistochemistry and an RNA in situ hybridization assay (ISH; RNAscope technology). RNAscope ISH detected BCoV in respiratory epithelium in more cases than did IHC.

Runting stunting syndrome (RSS) in broiler chickens is characterized by altered intestinal morphology and gene expression and stunted growth. The objective of this study was to conduct a retrospective study of gene expression in stem and differentiated cells in the small intestine of RSS chicks. Two different models of RSS were analyzed: broiler chicks that were experimentally infected and broiler chicks that were naturally infected. Experimentally infected chicks were exposed to litter from infected flocks (RSS-litter chicks) or infected with astrovirus (RSS-astrovirus chicks).