A National Survey of Children, Adults, and the Elderly in the Fourth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic to Compare Acute and Post-COVID-19 Conditions in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The fight against COVID-19 appears to extend beyond screening and treatment of acute diseases to its medium- and long-term health consequences. Little is known about the epidemiology and the determinants of developing post-COVID-19 conditions (PCCs) among children. The aims of this study were to explore and determine the prevalence of PCCs among three age groups (children and adolescents, adults, and the elderly), and study the predictors of participants' return to their pre-COVID-19 health status among COVID-19 patients at least four weeks after they got sick, from February to 15 July 2022. Methods: This comparison survey study targeted 12,121 COVID-19 patients who fulfilled the selection criteria from the national register system and received a virtual assessment from the Medical Consultation Call Center (937), which was conducted by a well-trained family physician using a validated, well-structured assessment tool. The collected data were coded and analyzed using appropriate tests. Results: Out of the 12,121 recovered COVID-19 patients who received the virtual assessment calls, only 5909 (48.8%) agreed and completed the assessment. The majority of participants (4973, or 84.2%) reported no PCCs. The most common PCCs among young people were a cough, dyspnea, fatigue, and loss of appetite or weight loss, while among the elderly they were a cough, dyspnea, fatigue, stomachaches, poor concentration, sleep disturbance, and recurrent fever. Most post-COVID-19 cases require nothing more than reassurance and health education as only 384 (6.5%) required referral to primary health care centers (PHCCs.) The severity of COVID-19 infection, age group, sex, vaccination status, and body mass index were significant predictors for returning to the pre-infection health status and the required referral was significantly related to many factors. Conclusions: The comparison of children, adults, and the elderly with regard to the acute and post-COVID-19 conditions in Saudi Arabia in terms of the clinical health assessment and the required management plans showed significant differences.

Multi-parent populations in crops: a toolbox integrating genomics and genetic mapping with breeding.

Crop populations derived from experimental crosses enable the genetic dissection of complex traits and support modern plant breeding. Among these, multi-parent populations now play a central role. By mixing and recombining the genomes of multiple founders, multi-parent populations combine many commonly sought beneficial properties of genetic mapping populations. For example, they have high power and resolution for mapping quantitative trait loci, high genetic diversity and minimal population structure. Many multi-parent populations have been constructed in crop species, and their inbred germplasm and associated phenotypic and genotypic data serve as enduring resources. Their utility has grown from being a tool for mapping quantitative trait loci to a means of providing germplasm for breeding programmes. Genomics approaches, including de novo genome assemblies and gene annotations for the population founders, have allowed the imputation of rich sequence information into the descendent population, expanding the breadth of research and breeding applications of multi-parent populations. Here, we report recent successes from crop multi-parent populations in crops. We also propose an ideal genotypic, phenotypic and germplasm 'package' that multi-parent populations should feature to optimise their use as powerful community resources for crop research, development and breeding.

NLRP3 mediates osteolysis through inflammation-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Activating-mutations in NOD-like receptor (NLR) family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) cause neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease. However, the ontogeny of skeletal anomalies in this disorder is poorly understood. Mice globally expressing the D301N mutation in Nlrp3 (D303N in human) model the human phenotype, including systemic inflammation and skeletal deformities. To gain insights into the skeletal manifestations, we generated mice in which the expression of D301N Nlrp3 (Nlrp3( D301N)) is restricted to myeloid cells. These mice exhibit systemic inflammation and severe osteopenia (∼ 60% lower bone mass) similar to mice globally expressing the knock-in mutation, consistent with the paradigm of innate immune-driven cryopyrinopathies. Because systemic inflammation may indirectly affect bone homeostasis, we engineered mice in which Nlrp3( D301N) is expressed specifically in osteoclasts, the cells that resorb bone. These mice also develop ∼ 50% lower bone mass due to increased osteolysis, but there is no systemic inflammation and no change in osteoclast number. Mechanistically, aside from its role in IL-1ß maturation, Nlrp3( D301N) expression enhances osteoclast bone resorbing ability through reorganization of actin cytoskeleton while promoting the degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1, an inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis. Thus, NLRP3 inflammasome activation is not restricted to the production of proinflammatory mediators but also leads to cytokine-autonomous responses.