Target score—a proteomics data selection tool applied to esophageal cancer identifies glut1-sialyl tn glycoforms as biomarkers of cancer aggressiveness

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a life-threatening disease, demanding the discovery of new biomarkers and molecular targets for precision oncology. Aberrantly glycosylated proteins hold tremendous potential towards this objective. In the current study, a series of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and EC-derived circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were screened by immunoassays for the sialyl-Tn (STn) antigen, a glycan rarely expressed in healthy tissues and widely observed in aggressive gastrointestinal cancers. An ESCC cell model was glycoengineered to express STn and characterized in relation to cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. STn was found to be widely present in ESCC (70% of tumors) and in CTCs in 20% of patients, being associated with general recurrence and reduced survival. Furthermore, STn expression in ESCC cells increased invasion in vitro, while reducing cancer cells proliferation. In parallel, an ESCC mass spectrometry-based proteomics dataset, obtained from the PRIDE database, was comprehensively interrogated for abnormally glycosylated proteins. Data integration with the Target Score, an algorithm developed in-house, pinpointed the glucose transporter type 1 (GLUT1) as a biomarker of poor prognosis. GLUT1-STn glycoproteoforms were latter identified in tumor tissues in patients facing worst prognosis. Furthermore, healthy human tissues analysis suggested that STn glycosylation provided cancer specificity to GLUT1. In conclusion, STn is a biomarker of worst prognosis in EC and GLUT1-STn glycoforms may be used to increase its specificity on the stratification and targeting of aggressive ESCC forms.The authors wish to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the human resources grants: PhD grant SFRH/BD/111242/2015 (AP), SFRH/BD/146500/2019 (MRS), SFRH/BD/142479/2018 (JS), SFRH/BD/105355/2014 (RA) and FCT assistant researcher grant CEECIND/03186/2017 (JAF). FCT is co-financed by European Social Fund (ESF) under Human Potential Operation Programme (POPH) from National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF). The authors also acknowledge FCT the funding for CI-IPOP research unit (PEst-OE/SAU/UI0776/201) and LAQV-REQUIMTE research unit (UIDB/50006/2020), the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto Research Centre (CI-IPOP-29-2016-2020; CI-IPOP-58-2016-2020; CI-IPOP-Proj.70-bolsa2019-GPTE) and PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences of ICBAS-University of Porto. The author also thanks “Early stage cancer treatment, driven by context of molecular imaging (ESTIMA)” framework (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000027) and IPO-Score (DSAIPA/DS/0042/2018) for financial support. This work was financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020—Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese funds through FCT/MCTES—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior. The authors also acknowledge support from the Portuguese League against Cancer grant LPCC-NRN-2020 (DF)

Dynamics of carbon pools in post-agrogenic sandy soils of southern taiga of Russia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Until recently, a lot of arable lands were abandoned in many countries of the world and, especially, in Russia, where about half a million square kilometers of arable lands were abandoned in 1961-2007. The soils at these fallows undergo a process of natural restoration (or self-restoration) that changes the balance of soil organic matter (SOM) supply and mineralization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A soil chronosequence study, covering the ecosystems of 3, 20, 55, 100, and 170 years of self-restoration in southern taiga zone, shows that soil organic content of mineral horizons remains relatively stable during the self-restoration. This does not imply, however, that SOM pools remain steady. The C/N ratio of active SOM reached steady state after 55 years, and increased doubly (from 12.5 - 15.6 to 32.2-33.8). As to the C/N ratio of passive SOM, it has been continuously increasing (from 11.8-12.7 to 19.0-22.8) over the 170 years, and did not reach a steady condition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of the study imply that soil recovery at the abandoned arable sandy lands of taiga is incredibly slow process. Not only soil morphological features of a former ploughing remained detectable but also the balance of soil organic matter input and mineralization remained unsteady after 170 years of self-restoration.</p

ULTRASONIC FRAGMENTATION of CATARACT in UVEITIS

ESCOLA PAULISTA MED,DEPT OPHTHALMOL,BR-04023 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILESCOLA PAULISTA MED,DEPT OPHTHALMOL,BR-04023 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILWeb of Scienc

Noise amplitude distribution of impulsive noise from measurements in a power substation

This paper presents ultra-wide-band measurements of impulsive noise within an electricity substation compound. The measurements are made in four contiguous frequency bands covering the range 100 MHz to 6 GHz. This range includes those bands relevant to modern wireless LAN and wireless PAN technologies such as IEEE 802.11a/b/g and IEEE802.15.1/4. Impulsive events are extracted from the measured data. A noise amplitude distribution analysis of these events is presented