Salivary β2-microglobulin positively correlates with ESSPRI in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder largely distinguished by lymphocytic exocrinopathy.1 Salivary and lachrymal glands are mainly impaired in pSS. Saliva is therefore considered an optimal biological fluid that closely reflects the underlying autoimmune exocrinopathy.1,2 For instance, in those wit

A β2‐microglobulina salivar se correlaciona positivamente com o ESSPRI em pacientes com síndrome de Sjögren primária

A síndrome de Sjögren primária (SSjP) é um transtorno autoimune sistêmico em grande parte distinguido pela exocrinopatia linfocítica.1 As glândulas salivares e lacrimais estão especialmente prejudicadas na SSjP. Portanto, considera-se que a saliva é o fluido biológico ideal para refletir fielmente a exocrinopatia autoimune subjacente.1,2 Por exemplo, em pessoas com SSjP, a 2-microglobulina (B2 M) está aumentada na saliva total.2 Essa proteína se correlaciona significativamente com a infiltrac¸ão linfocítica nas glândulas salivares labiais.3 O Eular Sjögren’s Syndrome Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) é uma medida dos sintomas centrada no paciente. Recentemente mostrou-se que esse índice é válido, confiável e sensível a alterac¸ões em uma grande coorte de pacientes com SSj

Phenol adsorption onto coffee waste - granular activated carbon: kinetics and equilibrium studies in aqueous solutions

abstract In this research, the production of granular activated carbon from coffee waste (CW) by chemical activation with zinc chloride was studied by using a 23 factorial design with the three responses (surface area, yield, and hardness) and studying three factors (the activation temperature, activation time, and impregnation ratio). The findings expose that after the experimental design, the highest response values were achieved at an activation temperature of 600°C, an activation time of 40 min, and an impregnation ratio of 1.5 g ZnCl2 g–1 CW. At these conditions, the experimental tests produced a surface area of 1,279 m2 g–1. Batch studies of phenol adsorption onto coffee waste-activated carbon (CW-GAC) were performed at different solution pH, stirring speeds, and initial phenol concentrations. The maximum phenol adsorption capacity onto CW-GAC was 160.52 mg g−1 at pH 7. The adsorption kinetics was affected by stirring speed, the required time to achieve equilibrium decreased from 150 to 120 min when stirring speed varied from 200 to 400 min–1. Film and intraparticle diffusion mechanisms controlled the adsorption of phenol onto CW-GAC. Finally, the porous material developed in this research is capable of sequestering phenol from aqueous solutions to a higher extent than similar lignocellulosic-based activated carbons. Keywords: Adsorption; Coffee; Factorial experimental design; Granular activated carbon; Lignocellulosic wast

Metal-Induced Production of a Novel Bioadsorbent Exopolysaccharide in a Native Rhodotorula mucilaginosa from the Mexican Northeastern Region

There is a current need to develop low-cost strategies to degrade and eliminate industrially used colorants discharged into the environment. Colorants discharged into natural water streams pose various threats, including: toxicity, degradation of aesthetics and inhibiting sunlight penetration into aquatic ecosystems. Dyes and colorants usually have complex aromatic molecular structures, which make them very stable and difficult to degrade and eliminate by conventional water treatment systems. The results in this work demonstrated that heavy metal-resistant Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain UANL-001L isolated from the northeast region of Mexico produce an exopolysaccharide (EPS), during growth, which has colorant adsorption potential. The EPS produced was purified by precipitation and dialysis and was then physically and chemically characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and chemical elemental analysis. Here, the ability of the purified EPS produced to adsorb methylene blue (MB), which served as a model colorant, is studied. MB adsorption by the EPS is found to follow Langmuir Adsorption Isotherm kinetics at 25°C. Further, by calculating the Langmuir constant the adsorption capabilities of the EPS produced by the Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain UANL-001L is compared to that of other adsorbents, both, microbially produced and from agroindustrial waste. The total adsorption capacity of the EPS, from the Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain UANL-001L, was found to be two-fold greater than the best bioadsorbents reported in the literature. Finally, apart from determining which heavy metals stimulated EPS production in the strain, the optimal conditions of pH, heavy metal concentration, and rate of agitation of the growing culture for EPS production, was determined. The EPS reported here has the potential of aiding in the efficient removal of colorants both in water treatment plants and in situ in natural water streams

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Evaluation of the Ovarian Reserve in Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disorder where the disease activity itself and the medications used for its treatment, may have adverse effects on ovarian function. This study aimed to assess the ovarian reserve (OR) in SLE patients. Materials and methods: The anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) and the antral follicle count (AFC), two markers to evaluate the OR was assessed in 64 SLE patients and compared to normal individuals. Additionally, we assessed whether the disease per se or the pharmacological treatments affect the OR. Results: Patients with SLE displayed alterations in the OR regardless of the presence of alterations of the menstrual cycle. The AFC and AMH were significantly lower in SLE patients with and without menstrual alterations when compared to control individuals (p<0.0001). However, the AFC and AMH levels were significantly correlated (p=0.006) in the SLE patients with menstrual alterations. Except for hydroxychloroquine that was statistically higher in SLE patients with menstrual alterations (p=0.04), the cumulative dose for cyclophosphamide, corticosteroid, and methotrexate was similar in SLE patients regardless of the occurrence of menstrual alterations. Conclusion: The monitoring of AMH and AFC in SLE patients should be used to detect the rapid and irreversible decline of the OR to provide a possibility of pregnancy to the SLE patients