Thionation of N-Methyl- and N-Unsubstituted Thiazolidine Enaminones

The potential of the directional non-bonded 1,5-type S···O interactions to initiate an incipient stage of an in situ rearrangement of N-unsubstituted thiazolidine enaminones to the functionalized 1,2-dithioles has been demonstrated. Spectral characteristics, as well as an X-ray structural analysis of the selected rearranged product, indicate that a dynamic interconversion occurs in a solution between the 1,2-dithiole and 3,3aλ⁴,4-trithia-1-azapentalene bicylic form. The lack of the rearrangement in the case of the N-methyl substituted enaminone precursor is attributed to an unfavorable methyl migration in the last reaction step

Exposure assessment to essential elements through the consumption of canned fish in Serbia

The aim of this study was to provide a quantitative exposure assessment to essential elements through the consumption of canned fish in Serbia. This objective was fulfilled by analyzing content of essential elements in canned fish and by using data from a food consumption survey. Consumption survey of canned fish was designed and performed to general principles and EFSA guidelines on data collection of national food consumption. The questionnaire was performed on 1,000 respondents during 2018. Determination of copper, zinc and iron levels were performed on 454 canned fish and seafood samples divided into four groups (canned tuna, canned sardines, canned other sea fish and canned seafood) during five consecutive years (2014–2018). This study showed significant association between sex, BMI and weight and consumption patterns. Obtained average weekly consumption of canned fish confirms our assumption that consumption of canned fish is significant in Serbia. Zinc and iron were found in all 454 samples (100%), and copper in 222 samples (48.9%). The average obtained concentration in all samples were 1.268 mg kg–1 for Cu, 5.661 mg kg–1 for Zn and 9.556 mg kg–1 for Fe. The highest concentration for all three minerals were found in canned sardines (Cu — 6.49 mg kg–1, Zn — 37.2 mg kg–1 and Fe — 21.8 mg kg–1). Obtained mean exposure to intake of copper, zinc and iron from canned fish was 1.2241 μg/kg bw/day, 5.4634 μg/kg bw/day and 9.2231 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. Exposure of Serbian population to zinc, copper, and iron through consumption of canned fish is less than recommended daily reference intakes and there is no risk of reaching toxic levels by consuming fish

Oncogenic enhancers prime quiescent metastatic cells to escape NK immune surveillance by eliciting transcriptional memory

Metastasis arises from disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) that are characterized by intrinsic phenotypic plasticity and the capability of seeding to secondary organs. DTCs can remain latent for years before giving rise to symptomatic overt metastasis. In this context, DTCs fluctuate between a quiescent and proliferative state in response to systemic and microenvironmental signals including immune-mediated surveillance. Despite its relevance, how intrinsic mechanisms sustain DTCs plasticity has not been addressed. By interrogating the epigenetic state of metastatic cells, we find that tumour progression is coupled with the activation of oncogenic enhancers that are organized in variable interconnected chromatin domains. This spatial chromatin context leads to the activation of a robust transcriptional response upon repeated exposure to retinoic acid (RA). We show that this adaptive mechanism sustains the quiescence of DTCs through the activation of the master regulator SOX9. Finally, we determine that RA-stimulated transcriptional memory increases the fitness of metastatic cells by supporting the escape of quiescent DTCs from NK-mediated immune surveillance. Overall, these findings highlight the contribution of oncogenic enhancers in establishing transcriptional memories as an adaptive mechanism to reinforce cancer dormancy and immune escape, thus amenable for therapeutic intervention

Comparative Analysis of Financial and Non-Financial Performance Elements of Joint-Stock Companies

The aim of the paper is to measure concurrence between the ranking of companies listed on the Belgrade Stock Exchange (BELEX) and their financial and nonfinancial performance elements, i.e. to measure to what extent these performance elements are included in the criteria for listing shares. By employing statistical/ econometric methodology, an analysis including 10 companies from the BELEX15 index basket was conducted. The paper is organized in four consistent sections. The first one relates to the analysis of the criteria for listing of companies on the BELEX and the ranking that the company receives based on the mentioned conditions. The second section deals with the analysis of the financial performance elements of the mentioned companies, namely: EPS (Earnings per Share), P/E ratio (Price–Earnings ratio), P/B ratio (Price–to–Book ratio) and ROE (Return on Equity) of the company. In the third section of the paper, the non-financial performance elements which are included in the ISO 9004:2009 Self-Assessment Tool and considered key components of company’s success are analyzed; these are: managing for the sustained success of a company; strategy and policy; resource management; processes management; monitoring, measurement, analysis and review; improvement, innovation and learning. In the fourth section of the paper a comparative analysis of the positions of surveyed companies was carried out based on the three main criteria set out in the preceding sections of the paper. Furthermore the correspondence between the mentioned criteria was measured