Leptospira spp. strain identification by MALDI TOF MS is an equivalent tool to 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multi locus sequence typing (MLST)

Background: In this study mass spectrometry was used for evaluating extracted leptospiral protein samples and results were compared with molecular typing methods. For this, an extraction protocol for Leptospira spp. was independently established in two separate laboratories. Reference spectra were created with 28 leptospiral strains, including pathogenic, non-pathogenic and intermediate strains. This set of spectra was then evaluated on the basis of measurements with well-defined, cultured leptospiral strains and with 16 field isolates of veterinary or human origin. To verify discriminating peaks for the applied pathogenic strains, statistical analysis of the protein spectra was performed using the software tool ClinProTools. In addition, a dendrogram of the reference spectra was compared with phylogenetic trees of the 16S rRNA gene sequences and multi locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. Results: Defined and reproducible protein spectra using MALDI-TOF MS were obtained for all leptospiral strains. Evaluation of the newly-built reference spectra database allowed reproducible identification at the species level for the defined leptospiral strains and the field isolates. Statistical analysis of three pathogenic genomospecies revealed peak differences at the species level and for certain serovars analyzed in this study. Specific peak patterns were reproducibly detected for the serovars Tarassovi, Saxkoebing, Pomona, Copenhageni, Australis, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Grippotyphosa. Analysis of the dendrograms of the MLST data, the 16S rRNA sequencing, and the MALDI-TOF MS reference spectra showed comparable clustering. Conclusions: MALDI-TOF MS analysis is a fast and reliable method for species identification, although Leptospira organisms need to be produced in a time-consuming culture process. All leptospiral strains were identified, at least at the species level, using our described extraction protocol. Statistical analysis of the three genomospecies L. borgpetersenii, L. interrogans and L. kirschneri revealed distinctive, reproducible differentiating peaks for seven leptospiral strains which represent seven serovars. Results obtained by MALDI-TOF MS were confirmed by MLST and 16S rRNA gene sequencing

Mushrooms Red Book of Ukraine in Culture. 1. Patterns of Growth Hericium coralloides

На території НПП «Гуцульщина» виявлено лише три локалітети Hericium coralloides – гриба, занесеного до Червоної книги України. У результаті проведених досліджень виділено в чисту культуру аборигенний штам К01. Як для виділення, так і для підтримки та забезпечення життєздатності гриба в культурі картопельно-глюкозний агар виявився оптимальним серед апробованих середовищ. Індивідуальні особливості росту H. coralloides К01 вказують на вузькі трофічні можливості цього штаму при поверхневому культивуванні, оскільки з п’яти апробованих середовищ придатними для росту виявилися лише два. Цей штам гриба вважаємо перспективним для використання як інокулянта відповідних субстратів у природному середовищі, оскільки для нього характерні високі показники радіального росту, короткий період log-фази та утворення в чистій культурі стадії телеоморфи. The national park «Hutsulshchyna» found only three localities of Hericium coralloides − mushroom Red Book of Ukraine. The result of the research was to obtain in a pure culture of the native strain K01. As for the release, and to support and ensure the viability of the fungus in culture potato - glucose agar was the best among the tested environments. Individual features of the growth of H. coralloides K01 indicate the narrow trophic features of this strain at cultivation because from five tested media suitable for growth were only two. This strain K01 H. coralloides may be considered promising for use as an inoculant respective substrates in the environment , because it is characterized by high rates of radial growth , a short period of log- phase and ability to form stage teleomorfy in pure culture.Роботу виконано у НПП «Гуцульщина», ННЦ «Інститут біології» КНУ ім. Т. Шевченк

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment patterns in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic has provoked discussions among healthcare providers how to manage cancer patients when faced with the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) containing regimens are standard of care in the majority of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) patients. It remains unclear whether therapies should be modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We performed an online survey among physicians involved in the treatment of mccRCC, and 41 experts responded. Questions focused on criteria relevant for treatment decision outside the pandemic and the modifications of systemic therapy during COVID-19. FINDINGS: For the majority of experts (73%), the combination of International metastatic renal cell carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk category and patient fitness are two important factors for decision-making. The main treatment choice in fit, favourable risk patients outside the pandemic is pembrolizumab/axitinib for 53%, avelumab/axitinib, sunitinib or pazopanib for 13% of experts each. During the pandemic, ICI-containing regimens are chosen less often in favour of a tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) monotherapy, mainly sunitinib or pazopanib (35%).In fit, intermediate/poor-risk patients outside the pandemic, over 80% of experts choose ipilimumab/nivolumab, in contrast to only 41% of physicians during COVID-19, instead more TKI monotherapies are given. In patients responding to established therapies with ICI/ICI or ICI/TKI combinations, most participants modify treatment regimen by extending cycle length, holding one ICI or even both. CONCLUSION: mccRCC treatment modifications in light of the coronavirus pandemic are variable, with a shift from ICI/ICI to ICI/TKI or TKI monotherapy

ESMO Clinical Research Observatory (ECRO): improving the efficiency of clinical research through rationalisation of bureaucracy

During the last years, there has been a dramatic increase in the administrative and bureaucratic burden associated with cli

Circulating endothelial cells are an early predictor in renal cell carcinoma for tumor response to sunitinib

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have enriched the therapeutic options in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which frequently induce morphological changes in tumors. However, only little is known about the biological activity of TKI. Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) have been associated with endothelial damage and, hence, may serve as a putative marker for the biological activity of TKI. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the predictive value of CEC, monocytes, and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (sVEGFR)-2 in RCC patients receiving sunitinib treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Analyses of CEC, monocytes, and sVEGFR-2 were accomplished for twenty-six consecutive patients with metastatic RCC who received treatment with sunitinib (50 mg, 4 wks on 2 wks off schedule) at our institution in 2005 and 2006.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In RCC patients CEC are elevated to 49 ± 44/ml (control 8 ± 8/ml; P = 0.0001). Treatment with sunitinib is associated with an increase in CEC within 28 days of treatment in patients with a Progression free survival (PFS) above the median to 111 ± 61 (P = 0.0109), whereas changes in patients with a PFS below the median remain insignificant 69 ± 61/ml (P = 0.1848). Monocytes and sVEGFR2 are frequently altered upon sunitinib treatment, but fail to correlate with clinical response, defined by PFS above or below the median.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Sunitinib treatment is associated with an early increase of CEC in responding patients, suggesting superior endothelial cell damage in these patients as a putative predictive biomarker.</p

How Cities and Universities Approach the Sustainable Development Goals

Cities and universities need to react against the backdrop of various national and international policy initiatives, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Green Deal, as well as global pressure to tackle climate change and improve sustainability, equality, inclusion, health, and social development. Technology, political regulation, or financial mechanisms alone cannot drive sustainable development. Thinking, as well as behavior toward such a problem, must be changed. Universities, with their intellectual resources and their focus/mission on educating future leaders, play a key role in these challenges. All over the world and, in particular, in the cities where the majority of the world’s population lives, we are witnessing a coherent transition toward the sustainable development. Given their local autonomy, the national rules and guidelines by which they are guided, universities are implementing new curricula that highlight the SDGs involving all fields of knowledge: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), health and well-being, social sciences, and humanities. Furthermore, the rapid digital transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs), recently driven by a global health emergency, opens up new opportunities to promote a technology-enhanced approach to learning and teaching with the same level of excellence and effectiveness in virtual contexts as in the traditional context. It allows both to break down socio-cultural barriers and to expand potential beneficiaries. Blended learning is then reviewed in light of the SDGs. Therefore, the chapter, moving within such an urban context, underlines the innovation required by the higher education institutions to achieve the SDGs and presents how higher education institutions have reviewed their educational pathways to prepare new leaders, aware of the sustainability issues. Examples from case studies in some countries of the world are then examined