LEF1-AS1, long non-coding RNA, inhibits proliferation in myeloid malignancy

LEF1 antisense RNA 1 (LEF1-AS1) is an antisense long non-coding RNA encoded in the lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) locus. LEF1-AS1 is a conserved transcript dysregulated in hematopoiesis. This study aimed to functionally characterize the role of this transcript in myeloid malignancy and explore a possible regulatory effect of LEF1-AS1 upon LEF1. We show that LEF1-AS1 is highly expressed in normal hematopoietic stem cells but barely detectable in myeloid malignant cell lines. Additionally, bone marrow cells from myelodysplastic syndrome (n=12) and acute myeloid malignancy patients (n=28) expressed significantly reduced levels of LEF1-AS1 compared to healthy controls (n=15). Artificial LEF1-AS1 over-expression inhibited proliferation in HL60 and led to an upregulation of tumor suppressors p21 and p27, and reduced ERK1/2 activation. Unexpectedly, no underlying modulation of LEF1 was detected. Ectopic expression of LEF1-AS1 also inhibited proliferation in HELA, a cell line lacking endogenous expression of LEF1, supporting a LEF1-independent mechanism. Additionally, transient over-expression of LEF1-AS1 in AML patient cells also led to reduced proliferation and colony formation capacity. We used a mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach. Proteomic quantification identified the modulation of an important metabolic regulator, Fumarase, and concomitant accumulation of the metabolite fumarate23430213025FAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo2013/17227-

Effect edible antimicrobial coating in the white blush and anaerobic psychrotrophs baby carrots

[POR] Objetivou-se avaliar a qualidade visual e microbiológica de minicenouras submetidas a diferentes concentrações de amido de milho em suspensão utilizado para revestimento comestível. Cenouras cv. Esplanada colhidas aos 90 dias, minimamente processadas na forma de minicenouras, foram imersas em suspensão contendo 2, 3 ou 4% de amido de milho; 1,5 % de quitosana, 2 % de glicerol e 0,4 % de ácido acético glacial e mantidas sob ventilação. Minicenouras não imersas em suspensão, serviram de controle. Em seguida, as minicenouras foram embaladas em bandejas de polipropileno envoltas em filme de polivinilcloreto e mantidas a 5±1ºC, por 12 ou 15 dias. Minicenouras sem revestimento, apresentaram intenso aumento no índice de esbranquecimento, e no quarto dia, apresentaram entre 21 a 60 % de sua superfície esbranquecida. Independente da concentração de amido na suspensão, o índice de esbranquecimento não alterou. As minicenouras tratadas em suspensão contendo 4 % de amido, não apresentaram sintomas visuais de esbranquecimento durante todo o armazenamento. As minicenouras tratadas em suspensão contendo 2 ou 3% de amido, apresentaram até 20% da superfície esbranquecida, nas extremidades, sem comprometer sua qualidade visual. O tempo para secagem do revestimento foi de proximadamente 2,5; 3,5 e 5h para minicenoura tratadas em suspensão com 2, 3 e 4 %, respectivamente, dificultando o uso de suspensão mais concentrada. A velocidade de perda de massa fresca apresentou a mesma tendência para todos os tratamentos. O revestimento utilizado contendo quitosana, inibiu em 1,2 ciclos logs o crescimento de psicotróficos anaeróbicos após 15 dias, em relação ao controle. A suspensão contendo 2 ou 3 % de amido de milho, proporcionou manutenção da coloração característica de minicenoura e inibiu parcialmente o crescimento de psicotróficos anaeróbicos. Apoio financeiro: CAPES, CNPq e FAPEMIG. [ENG] This work aimed to develop an edible antimicrobial coating base on a starch- chitosan matrix to evaluate is effect on baby carrot by means of visual quality and anaerobic Psychrotrophs analyses. Carrots of, Esplanada cultivar were harvested at 90 days after planting, were minimally processed in form of baby carrots and immersed in the suspensión coating based on 2; 3 or 4 % maiz starch (w/v) + 2 % glycerol (v/v) + chitosan (1,5 %, w/v) and 0,4 % glacial acetic acid (v/v). All the samples were placed in extended polystyrene trays, wrapped in polyvinylchloride film and stored at 5±1 ºC for 12 or 15 days. Baby carrot no immersed, presented intense increase whiteness index, and 21 – 60 % at days four whitness surface. Independent of the starch concentration in the suspension, the whiteness index did not modify. The Baby carrot treated in suspension contend 4 % of starch, had not presented visual symptoms of whiteness during the storage. The baby carrots treated in suspension contend 2 or 3% of starch, had presented up to 20 % of the whiteness surface, in the extremities, without compromising its visual quality. The time for drying of the coatings was of approximately 2,5; 3,5 and 5h for baby carrot treated in suspension with 2, 3 and 4 %, respectively, making it difficult the use of more concentred suspension. The speed of mass loss presented the same trend for all the treatments. The use chitosan in the coating, inhibited in 1,2 cycles logs the growth of anaerobic psychrotrophs after 15 days, in relation to the control. The suspensión contend 2 or 3 % of maize starch, provided maintenance of the characteristic coloration of baby carrot and inhibited partially the anaerobic psychrotrophs growth.Os autores agradecem ao prof. Ricardo Henrique Silva Santos e estudantes pelo fornecimento da matéria-prima. À CAPES, CNPq e FAPEMIG pelo apoio financeiro

Oxidative stress biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity in human erythrocytes exposed to clomazone (in vitro)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of clomazone herbicide on oxidative stress biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity in human erythrocytes in in vitro conditions. The activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), as well as the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in human erythrocytes exposed (in vitro) to clomazone at varying concentrations in the range of 0, 100, 250 and 500 µg/L for 1 h at 37 °C.TBARS levels were significantly higher in erythrocytes incubated with clomazone at 100, 250 and 500 µg/L. However, erythrocyte CAT and AChE activities were decreased at all concentrations tested. SOD activity was increased only at 100 µg/L of clomazone. GSH levels did not change with clomazone exposure. These results clearly showed clomazone to induce oxidative stress and AChE inhibition in human erythrocytes (in vitro). We, thus, suggest a possible role of ROS on toxicity mechanism induced by clomazone in humans

The ocean sampling day consortium

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits

Results From the Global Rheumatology Alliance Registry

Funding Information: We acknowledge financial support from the ACR and EULAR. The ACR and EULAR were not involved in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. ACR Open Rheumatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.Objective: Some patients with rheumatic diseases might be at higher risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We aimed to develop a prediction model for COVID-19 ARDS in this population and to create a simple risk score calculator for use in clinical settings. Methods: Data were derived from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Registry from March 24, 2020, to May 12, 2021. Seven machine learning classifiers were trained on ARDS outcomes using 83 variables obtained at COVID-19 diagnosis. Predictive performance was assessed in a US test set and was validated in patients from four countries with independent registries using area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. A simple risk score calculator was developed using a regression model incorporating the most influential predictors from the best performing classifier. Results: The study included 8633 patients from 74 countries, of whom 523 (6%) had ARDS. Gradient boosting had the highest mean AUC (0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.88) and was considered the top performing classifier. Ten predictors were identified as key risk factors and were included in a regression model. The regression model that predicted ARDS with 71% (95% CI: 61%-83%) sensitivity in the test set, and with sensitivities ranging from 61% to 80% in countries with independent registries, was used to develop the risk score calculator. Conclusion: We were able to predict ARDS with good sensitivity using information readily available at COVID-19 diagnosis. The proposed risk score calculator has the potential to guide risk stratification for treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, that have potential to reduce COVID-19 disease progression.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin

Non-classical forms of pemphigus: pemphigus herpetiformis, IgA pemphigus, paraneoplastic pemphigus and IgG/IgA pemphigus

The pemphigus group comprises the autoimmune intraepidermal blistering diseases classically divided into two major types: pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceous. Pemphigus herpetiformis, IgA pemphigus, paraneoplastic pemphigus and IgG/IgA pemphigus are rarer forms that present some clinical, histological and immunopathological characteristics that are different from the classical types. These are reviewed in this article. Future research may help definitively to locate the position of these forms in the pemphigus group, especially with regard to pemphigus herpetiformis and the IgG/ IgA pemphigus.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Dermatology DepartmentUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Dermatology and Pathology DepartmentsUNIFESP, EPM, Dermatology DepartmentUNIFESP, EPM, Dermatology and Pathology DepartmentsSciEL

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio