Background The overall global impact of COVID-19 in children and regional variability in pediatric outcomes are presently unknown. Methods To evaluate the magnitude of global COVID-19 death and intensive care unit (ICU) admission in children aged 0–19 years, a systematic review was conducted for articles and national reports as of December 7, 2020. This systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020179696). Results We reviewed 16,027 articles as well as 225 national reports from 216 countries. Among the 3,788 global pediatric COVID-19 deaths, 3,394 (91.5%) deaths were reported from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), while 83.5% of pediatric population from all included countries were from LMIC. The pediatric deaths/1,000,000 children and case fatality rate (CFR) were significantly higher in LMIC than in high-income countries (HIC) (2.77 in LMIC vs 1.32 in HIC; p < 0.001 and 0.24% in LMIC vs 0.01% in HIC; p < 0.001, respectively). The ICU admission/1,000,000 children was 18.80 and 1.48 in HIC and LMIC, respectively (p < 0.001). The highest deaths/1,000,000 children and CFR were in infants < 1 year old (10.03 and 0.58% in the world, 5.39 and 0.07% in HIC and 10.98 and 1.30% in LMIC, respectively). Conclusions The study highlights that there may be a larger impact of pediatric COVID-19 fatality in LMICs compared to HICs.

;We cloned a cDNA for matrix-attachment region (MAR)-binding protein from Nicotiana tabacum cells to elucidate the structure and function of the nuclear matrix. The cDNA encodes a protein of 555 amino acids (61,050 Da) with an isoelectric point of 9.4. We named the protein NtMARBP61. The sequence is 45% identical to yeast Nop58p, which is involved in rRNA processing. The Cterminal part is unique and rich in lysine residues. The recombinant C-terminal part had the ability to bind double-stranded DNAs of 12 tobacco MARs. The intracellular localization was determined to be in the nucleolus by fluorescent microscopy using the antibody to the recombinant NtMARBP61. The mRNA level was high in the lag and early-log phases of cultured cells but low in the stationary phase. The protein was accumulated only in the middleand late-log phases, suggesting that NtMARBP61 is essential for growing cells. The results suggest at least the structural and regulatory function of NtMARBP61 in the nucleolus as a MAR-binding protein in a growth-stage specific manner.

We have cloned a cDNA for vacuolar proton-translocating pyrophosphatase of Chara corallina that is one of the closest green algae to the land plants. The deduced protein consists of 793 amino acid residues. Its sequence is 71% identical to the H+-pyrophosphatases of land plants, and is less than 46% identical to those of marine alga and phototrophic bacterium.

Environmental RNA (eRNA) analysis has recently received attention as a better means to infer the physiological status of a community and living biotic assemblages than environmental DNA (eDNA). However, eRNA is thought to be degraded more rapidly than eDNA, increasing the risk of false-negative detection and complicating large-scale eRNA sampling in the field. In addition, the need for a deep freezer (− 80°C or below) further limits the practical application of eRNA analysis in places that are not accessible by vehicle. Here we focused on two types of reagents (RNAlater and LBP buffer) and assessed their performance for eRNA preservation. We found that very high concentrations of ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) eRNA were quantifiable from filter samples collected from an aquarium by using RNAlater preservation at − 20°C for at least a week. Compared with the sample stored at − 20°C without any preservative, the filter samples preserved in RNAlater had eRNA concentrations that were tens to hundreds of times higher. Although further technical refinement is needed, our findings have provided valuable information to enhance the methodology for improving eRNA quality and quantity in environmental samples. This will boost the practical application of eRNA-based meta-transcriptomics targeting macro-organisms.

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is a forest tree species, and widely distributed in Japan. The lumber of Japanese cedar has been used for building materials, furniture, and traditional crafts, but the "leaf" is rarely used for practical applications. In this study, the physiological activity in the water extracts of Japanese cedar leaf which extracted by the two-step hot/hot-compressed water percolation evaluated by the in vitro assay and the experiment using human keratinocyte, HaCaT cells. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and total polyphenol concentration in 180 °C extract were significantly higher than those in 80 °C extract. Additionally, the suppressive effects of 180 °C water extract of Japanese cedar leaf on the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were more effective than that of 80 °C water extract in HaCaT cells. Therefore, it was indicated that the 180 °C water extracts of Japanese cedar leaf contained more antioxidant compounds than that of 80 °C water extract.