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BackgroundIn late December 2019, a pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 was first reported in Wuhan and spread worldwide rapidly. Currently, no specific medicine is available to treat infection with COVID-19. ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to summarize the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 175 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who were hospitalized in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 1 to January 31, 2020, and to establish a tool to identify potential critical patients with COVID-19 and help clinical physicians prevent progression of this disease. MethodsIn this retrospective study, clinical characteristics of 175 confirmed COVID-19 cases were collected and analyzed. Univariate analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select variables. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify independent risk factors in COVID-19 progression. We established a nomogram to evaluate the probability of progression of the condition of a patient with COVID-19 to severe within three weeks of disease onset. The nomogram was verified using calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic curves. ResultsA total of 18 variables were considered to be risk factors after the univariate regression analysis of the laboratory parameters (P

The excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer aggravated the loss of nitrogen in farmland and exerted detrimental effects on the soil and water environment. Examining the effects of N-(n-Butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on nitrification and crop yield in wheat-corn double cropping systems would provide valuable insights for improving nitrogen efficiency and ensuring a rational application of inhibitors. A field experiment lasting one and a half years was performed in the winter wheat–summer maize double agroecosystem in North China. The four treatments that were applied included (I) conventional fertilization without inhibitors (CK), (II) conventional fertilization with 0.26 g/m2 NBPT (NBPT), (III) conventional fertilization with 1.00 g/m2 DCD (DCD), and (IV) conventional fertilization with 0.26 g/m2 NBPT and 1.00 g/m2 DCD (NBPT + DCD). The results demonstrated that the combined use of NBPT and DCD exerted better effects in reducing NO3−-N leaching. Nitrification could be inhibited for up to 95 days by combining NBPT and DCD, while 21 days by DCD. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) (R2 = 0.07159, p < 0.01) along with ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) (R2 = 0.09359, p < 0.01), rather than a complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox), were significantly and positively correlated with NO3−-N content, which indicated that the ammoxidation process was mainly regulated by AOA and AOB, instead of comammox in the winter wheat–summer maize double agroecosystem in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although application of calcium polyamino acid (Ca-polyAA) is one of the effective ways to improve saline-alkali soil and promote plant growth, the clear mechanisms are unknown. A two-year field experiment with four Ca-polyAA application treatments (added at rates of 0, 7.5, 15.0, and 22.5 × 103 kg ha−1) was conducted on saline-alkali soil in Songnen Plain of China. In the first year (2016), Ca-polyAA increased soil porosity and decreased pH, electrical conductivity (EC1:5) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Root Na+/K+ and Na+/Ca2+ ratio were reduced whereas hydraulic conductivity was increased. The hormone concentration and enzyme activity in the root were enhanced at tillering stage. Root structure development at the root tip was promoted after the application of Ca-polyAA. The total root length, surface area, volume and biomass were increased by increasing Ca-polyAA added rate. Similar results were obtained in the second year (2017). Path analysis demonstrate that Ca-polyAA can promote the accumulation of root biomass mainly by decreasing Na+/ K+ ratio, increasing root hydraulic conductivity and the activity of carbon metabolism enzymes, and the development of the root cortex. These results revealed that Ca-polyAA, as an efficient ameliorator, is capable to enhance agronomical and morphophysiological traits of rice in saline-alkali soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of ε‐polylysine hydrochloride (PLH) and rosemary extract (RE) combined with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on the quality and microbiota changes of obscure pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus) was studied during refrigerated storage at 4 ± 1°C. The fish samples were first impregnated with SAEW and then dissolved in sterile water (CK) and different solutions (0.2% RE, 0.3% PLH, 0.2% RE+0.3% PLH (RP)). Changes in microbiological indicators (total viable counts [TVC], psychrophilic bacteria counts [PBC], pseudomonas bacteria counts, H2S‐producing bacteria counts) and physiochemical indexes (ATP‐related compounds, K value, total volatile basic nitrogen [TVB‐N], and biogenic amines content) were also examined, the microbial composition of the samples was analyzed using high‐throughput sequencing. Results showed that PLH treatment had the lower microbial counts and TVB‐N. The degradation of inosine monophosphate (IMP), the production of hypoxanthine riboside (HxR) and hypoxanthine (Hx) in treated groups were slower than that of CK group. Moreover, RP group effectively delayed the production of biogenic amines. Illumina‐MiSeq high throughput sequencing results demonstrated that the microbiota of each group became less diverse during storage, and Janthinobacterium in treated groups increased significantly. Pseudomonas became the major predominant microbiota of obscure pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus) at the end of storage. According to the results of TVC, SAEW combined with RP could prolong the shelf‐life of obscure pufferfish for another 6 days. Practical applications: Obscure pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus) is enthusiastically welcome due to the palatability and nutritional value of its flesh. However, it is vulnerable to spoilage caused by microbial growth and metabolisms. Based on the results of microbiological analysis total viable counts, compared with CK group, samples with compound bio‐preservatives treatment maintained good quality and prolonged the shelf life of obscure pufferfish for another 6 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]