lncRNA Biomarkers of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA molecules of 200 nucleotides or more in length that are not translated into proteins. Their expression is tissue-specific, with the vast majority involved in the regulation of cellular processes and functions. Many human diseases, including cancer, have been shown to be associated with deregulated lncRNAs, rendering them potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for differential diagnosis. The expression of lncRNAs in the nervous system varies in different cell types, implicated in mechanisms of neurons and glia, with effects on the development and functioning of the brain. Reports have also shown a link between changes in lncRNA molecules and the etiopathogenesis of brain neoplasia, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBM is an aggressive variant of brain cancer with an unfavourable prognosis and a median survival of 14–16 months. It is considered a brain-specific disease with the highly invasive malignant cells spreading throughout the neural tissue, impeding the complete resection, and leading to post-surgery recurrences, which are the prime cause of mortality. The early diagnosis of GBM could improve the treatment and extend survival, with the lncRNA profiling of biological fluids promising the detection of neoplastic changes at their initial stages and more effective therapeutic interventions. This review presents a systematic overview of GBM-associated deregulation of lncRNAs with a focus on lncRNA fingerprints in patients’ blood

Comparison of different methods of antioxidant activity evaluation of green and roast C. Arabica and C. Robusta coffee beans

Coffee beans contain a large amount of antioxidants, which are subjected to various changes during roasting. In this study, antioxidant potential of raw and roasted to different degree (light, medium, dark) C. arabica and C. robusta coffee beans was evaluated by the four antioxidant assay methods, TPC, FRAP, TEAC, and DPPH˙. The obtained results revealed significant differences between the coffee types, roasting degree, and antioxidant activity assessment methods. FRAP and TPC appeared to be the most appropriate methods for revealing the differences in antioxidant potential of different coffee types and the effects of roasting. The results obtained by these methods were in good correlation. ABTS and DPPH? methods are not enough sensitive for the determination of roasting degrees. In general, based on statistical data evaluation, antioxidant activity is more dependent on the coffee type than on the degree of roasting, however, the selection of analytical method may also be significant

Insights into surface chemistry down to nanoscale: an accessible colour hyperspectral imaging approach for scanning electron microscopy

Chemical imaging (CI) is the spatial identification of molecular chemical composition and is critical to characterising the (in-) homogeneity of functional material surfaces. Nanoscale CI on bulk functional material surfaces is a longstanding challenge in materials science and is addressed here. We demonstrate the feasibility of surface sensitive CI in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) using colour enriched secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (CSEHI). CSEHI is a new concept in the SEM, where secondary electron emissions in up to three energy ranges are assigned to RGB (red, green, blue) image colour channels. The energy ranges are applied to a hyperspectral image volume which is collected in as little as 50 s. The energy ranges can be defined manually or automatically. Manual application requires additional information from the user as first explained and demonstrated for a lithium metal anode (LMA) material, followed by manual CSEHI for a range of materials from art history to zoology. We introduce automated CSEHI, eliminating the need for additional user information, by finding energy ranges using a non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) based method. Automated CSEHI is evaluated threefold: (1) benchmarking to manual CSEHI on LMA; (2) tracking controlled changes to LMA surfaces; (3) comparing automated CSEHI and manual CI results published in the past to reveal nanostructures in peacock feather and spider silk. Based on the evaluation, CSEHI is well placed to differentiate/track several lithium compounds formed through a solution reaction mechanism on a LMA surface (eg. lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and lithium nitride). CSEHI was used to provide insights into the surface chemical distribution on the surface of samples from art history (mineral phases) to zoology (di-sulphide bridge localisation) that are hidden from existing surface analysis techniques. Hence, the CSEHI approach has the potential to impact the way materials are analysed for scientific and industrial purposes

All-trans retinoic acid fosters the multifarious U87MG cell line as a model of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a primary brain cancer of poor prognosis, with existing treatments remaining essentially palliative. Current GBM therapy fails due to rapid reappearance of the heterogeneous neoplasm, with models suggesting that the recurrent growth is from treatment-resistant glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). Whether GSCs depend on survival/proliferative cues from their surrounding microenvironmental niche, particularly surrounding the leading edge after treatment remains unknown. Simulating human GBM in the laboratory relies on representative cell lines and xenograft models for translational medicine. Due to U87MG source discrepancy and differential proliferation responses to retinoic acid treatment, this study highlights the challenges faced by laboratory scientists working with this representative GBM cell line. Investigating the response to all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) revealed its sequestering of the prominin-1 stem cell marker. ICAM-1 universally present throughout U87MG was enhanced by ATRA, of interest for chemotherapy targeting studies. ATRA triggered diverse expression patterns of long non-coding RNAs PARTICLE and GAS5 in the leading edge and established monolayer growth zone microenvironment. Karyotyping confirmed the female origin of U87MG sourced from Europe. Passaging U87MG revealed the presence of chromosomal anomalies reflective of structural genomic alterations in this glioblastoma cell line. All evidence considered, this study exposes further phenotypic nuances of U87MG which may belie researchers seeking data contributing towards the elusive cure for GBM

Standardizing the classification of skin tears: validity and reliability testing of the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel Classification System in 44 countries

Background: Skin tears are acute wounds that are frequently misdiagnosed and under‐reported. A standardized and globally adopted skin tear classification system with supporting evidence for diagnostic validity and reliability is required to allow assessment and reporting in a consistent way. Objectives:To measure the validity and reliability of the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP) Classification System internationally. Methods: A multicountry study was set up to validate the content of the ISTAP Classification System through expert consultation in a two‐round Delphi procedure involving 17 experts from 11 countries. An online survey including 24 skin tear photographs was conducted in a convenience sample of 1601 healthcare professionals from 44 countries to measure diagnostic accuracy, agreement, inter‐rater reliability and intrarater reliability of the instrument. Results:A definition for the concept of a ‘skin flap’ in the area of skin tears was developed and added to the initial ISTAP Classification System consisting of three skin tear types. The overall agreement with the reference standard was 0·79 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·79–0·80] and sensitivity ranged from 0·74 (95% CI 0·73–0·75) to 0·88 (95% CI 0·87–0·88). The inter‐rater reliability was 0·57 (95% CI 0·57–0·57). The Cohen's Kappa measuring intrarater reliability was 0·74 (95% CI 0·73–0·75). Conclusions: The ISTAP Classification System is supported by evidence for validity and reliability. The ISTAP Classification System should be used for systematic assessment and reporting of skin tears in clinical practice and research globally.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Insights into surface chemistry down to nanoscale: an accessible colour hyperspectral imaging approach for scanning electron microscopy

Chemical imaging (CI) is the spatial identification of molecular chemical composition and is critical to characterising the (in-) homogeneity of functional material surfaces. Nanoscale CI on bulk functional material surfaces is a longstanding challenge in materials science and is addressed here. We demonstrate the feasibility of surface sensitive CI in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) using colour enriched secondary electron hyperspectral imaging (CSEHI). CSEHI is a new concept in the SEM, where secondary electron emissions in up to three energy ranges are assigned to RGB (red, green, blue) image colour channels. The energy ranges are applied to a hyperspectral image volume which is collected in as little as 50 s. The energy ranges can be defined manually or automatically. Manual application requires additional information from the user as first explained and demonstrated for a lithium metal anode (LMA) material, followed by manual CSEHI for a range of materials from art history to zoology. We introduce automated CSEHI, eliminating the need for additional user information, by finding energy ranges using a non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) based method. Automated CSEHI is evaluated threefold: (1) benchmarking to manual CSEHI on LMA; (2) tracking controlled changes to LMA surfaces; (3) comparing automated CSEHI and manual CI results published in the past to reveal nanostructures in peacock feather and spider silk. Based on the evaluation, CSEHI is well placed to differentiate/track several lithium compounds formed through a solution reaction mechanism on a LMA surface (eg. lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and lithium nitride). CSEHI was used to provide insights into the surface chemical distribution on the surface of samples from art history (mineral phases) to zoology (di-sulphide bridge localisation) that are hidden from existing surface analysis techniques. Hence, the CSEHI approach has the potential to impact the way materials are analysed for scientific and industrial purposes

A new methodology to assess the performance and uncertainty of source apportionment models II: The results of two European intercomparison exercises

The performance and the uncertainty of receptor models (RMs) were assessed in intercomparison exercises employing real-world and synthetic input datasets. To that end, the results obtained by different practitioners using ten different RMs were compared with a reference. In order to explain the differences in the performances and uncertainties of the different approaches, the apportioned mass, the number of sources, the chemical profiles, the contribution-to-species and the time trends of the sources were all evaluated using the methodology described in Belis et al. (2015). In this study, 87% of the 344 source contribution estimates (SCEs) reported by participants in 47 different source apportionment model results met the 50% standard uncertainty quality objective established for the performance test. In addition, 68% of the SCE uncertainties reported in the results were coherent with the analytical uncertainties in the input data. The most used models, EPA-PMF v.3, PMF2 and EPA-CMB 8.2, presented quite satisfactory performances in the estimation of SCEs while unconstrained models, that do not account for the uncertainty in the input data (e.g. APCS and FA-MLRA), showed below average performance. Sources with well-defined chemical profiles and seasonal time trends, that make appreciable contributions (>10%), were those better quantified by the models while those with contributions to the PM mass close to 1% represented a challenge. The results of the assessment indicate that RMs are capable of estimating the contribution of the major pollution source categories over a given time window with a level of accuracy that is in line with the needs of air quality management

The genetic sex-determination system predicts adult sex ratios in tetrapods

The adult sex ratio (ASR) has critical effects on behaviour, ecology and population dynamics, but the causes of variation in ASRs are unclear. Here we assess whether the type of genetic sex determination influences the ASR using data from 344 species in 117 families of tetrapods. We show that taxa with female heterogamety have a significantly more male-biased ASR (proportion of males: 0.55 ± 0.01 (mean ± s.e.m.)) than taxa with male heterogamety (0.43 ± 0.01). The genetic sex-determination system explains 24% of interspecific variation in ASRs in amphibians and 36% in reptiles. We consider several genetic factors that could contribute to this pattern, including meiotic drive and sex-linked deleterious mutations, but further work is needed to quantify their effects. Regardless of the mechanism, the effects of the genetic sex-determination system on the adult sex ratio are likely to have profound effects on the demography and social behaviour of tetrapods.</p

Folia Biologica (Praha) 51, 159-165 (2005) Original Articles Immune Characterization of the Lewis Rats Inoculated with K2 Sarcoma Cell Line and Newly Derived R5-28 Malignant Cells ( rat sarcoma / malignancy / myeloid cells / splenomegaly / natural killer

Abstract. Sarcoma is a relatively rare malignant disease with high mortality, bad prognosis and response to conventional therapy. Two possible models of this disease were tested: the K2 rat sarcoma cell line, which was described previously, and the new rat R5-28 cell line derived from a spontaneously growing rat neoplasm with sarcoma morphology. While all rats inoculated with K2 cells developed tumours at 22 th -25 th day after inoculation (D = 22-25), only 60%-75% of R5-28-inoculated rats were affected by tumours. The frequency and progress of the disease depended on the number of inoculated cells. No metastases were detected in both cases. All affected animals showed large splenomegaly. A possible response of some immune system components to tumours was tested. No tumourinfiltrating lymphocytes were revealed in the tumour tissue. Anti-tumour antibodies were not found in tumour-bearing animal sera. Appropriate changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were explored. While the relative numbers of both NK cells and Tc were impaired, no changes were noted in numbers of CD4 + CD8 -T helper cells. Leukocytosis with highly increased numbers of CD11b + myeloid cells displaying variable expression of CD4 was detected in terminal stages of the disease. Sarcomas are rare but aggressive tumours of mesenchymal origin. They consist of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumour cells. On that account sarcomas compose several heterogeneous histological groups with different clinical markers. Prognosis is usually bad and standard therapies remain limited. Several animal models of sarcoma are known, one of them was described by Contrary to other tumours such as melanoma or colon carcinoma, sarcomas are not very well defined from the immunological point of view, particularly due to the variety of differentiation stages of tumour cells and therefore wide spectra of expressed antigens. It was shown recently that more than 70% of human sarcomas bear tumour testicular antigens NY-ESO-1 and SP110 To identify host-tumour interactions and immune system changes in this cancer disease we utilized the Lewis rat sarcoma model. We selected the low-malignant K2 cells to develop subcutaneous tumours in experimental animals. Tumour growth, metastatic potential and abundance of immune cells in peripheral blood were monitored. We also included in this stud