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Competition between bacterial species is a major factor shaping microbial communities. It is possible but remains largely unexplored that competition between bacterial pathogens can be mediated through antagonistic effects of bacterial effector proteins on host systems, particularly the actin cytoskeleton. Using Salmonella Typhimurium invasion into cells as a model, we demonstrate that invasion is inhibited if the host actin cytoskeleton is disturbed by actin-specific toxins, namely, Vibrio cholerae MARTX actin crosslinking (ACD) and Rho GTPase inactivation (RID) domains, Photorhabdus luminescens TccC3, and Salmonella's own SpvB. We noticed that ACD, being an effective inhibitor of tandem G-actin-binding assembly factors, is likely to inhibit the activity of another Vibrio effector, VopF. In reconstituted actin polymerization assays and by live-cell microscopy, we confirmed that ACD potently halted the actin nucleation and pointed-end elongation activities of VopF, revealing competition between these two V. cholerae effectors. These results suggest that bacterial effectors from different species that target the same host machinery or proteins may represent an effective but largely overlooked mechanism of indirect bacterial competition in host-associated microbial communities. Whether the proposed inhibition mechanism involves the actin cytoskeleton or other host cell compartments, such inhibition deserves investigation and may contribute to a documented scarcity of human enteric co-infections by different pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This article provides an overview of several experimental models, including in vivo, genetics, chemical, knock-in, knock-out, electrical, in vitro, and optogenetics models, that have been employed to investigate epileptogenesis. The present review introduces a novel categorization of these models, taking into account the fact that the most recent classification that gained widespread acceptance was established by Fisher in 1989. A significant number of such models have become virtually outdated. Objective: This paper specifically examines the models that have contributed to the investigation of partial seizures, generalized seizures, and status epilepticus. Discussion: A description is provided of the primary features associated with the processes that produce and regulate the symptoms of various epileptogenesis models. Numerous experimental epilepsy models in animals have made substantial contributions to the investigation of particular brain regions that are capable of inducing seizures. Experimental models of epilepsy have also enabled the investigation of the therapeutic mechanisms of anti-epileptic medications. Typically, animals are selected for the development and study of experimental animal models of epilepsy based on the specific form of epilepsy being investigated. Conclusions: Currently, it is established that specific animal species can undergo epileptic seizures that resemble those described in humans. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge that a comprehensive assessment of all forms of human epilepsy has not been feasible. However, these experimental models, both those derived from channelopathies and others, have provided a limited comprehension of the fundamental mechanisms of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of bacterial food-borne illness in humans and is responsible for millions of cases annually. A critical strategy for the survival of this pathogen is the translocation of bacterial virulence factors termed effectors into host cells, which primarily function via protein–protein interactions with host proteins. The Salmonella genome encodes several paralogous effectors believed to have arisen from duplication events throughout the course of evolution. These paralogs can share structural similarities and enzymatic activities but have also demonstrated divergence in host cell targets or interaction partners and contributions to the intracellular lifecycle of Salmonella. The paralog effectors SopD and SopD2 share 63% amino acid sequence similarity and extensive structural homology yet have demonstrated divergence in secretion kinetics, intracellular localization, host targets, and roles in infection. SopD and SopD2 target host Rab GTPases, which represent critical regulators of intracellular trafficking that mediate diverse cellular functions. While SopD and SopD2 both manipulate Rab function, these paralogs display differences in Rab specificity, and the effectors have also evolved multiple mechanisms of action for GTPase manipulation. Here, we highlight this intriguing pair of paralog effectors in the context of host–pathogen interactions and discuss how this research has presented valuable insights into effector evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport, physical activity and social cohesion are increasingly linked within the academic literature. Indeed, studies recognise both the importance of social cohesion for promoting physical activity and the potential of sport to support social cohesion. Up until now, however, the ways in which social cohesion has been defined and measured in the context of sport and physical activity have not been the subject of much academic attention. Through a scoping review of studies measuring social cohesion in the sport and physical activity context, we aim to uncover how social cohesion is defined and measured, thus allowing us to better grasp how the concept is understood and operationalised in this field. As such, full-text inclusion occurred when studies quantitatively measured social cohesion through a questionnaire/survey instrument in connection with sport or physical activity participation or within programmes using sport to foster social cohesion. A total of 40 papers were included in the review, showing broad support for the argument that social cohesion is positively related to sport or physical activity participation. However, the retained texts engage on only a surface level with the concept of social cohesion, with around half not defining the term and the associated measurement tools using only a fraction of the dimensions typically associated with social cohesion. To conclude, we propose future directions to enhance conceptual engagement with and measurement of social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To combat infections, hosts employ a combination of antagonistic and cooperative host defense strategies. The former refers to pathogen killing mediated by host immunity (disease resistance), while the latter refers to physiological defense mechanisms that promote host health during infection independent of pathogen killing, leading to a cooperation between the host and the pathogen (diseases tolerance). In chickens, the paratyphoid Salmonella evolved the capacity to survive the initial robust immune response and persist in the avian ceca for months without triggering clinical signs. The persistent or carrier phase of a Salmonella infection in the avian host involves a complex balance of antagonistic and cooperative host defense strategies. Initially, the host reacts with a normal inflammatory response that controls bacterial invasion. After 3–4 days of inflammation, the host response changes to a more anti-inflammatory response characterized by changes in the local intestinal physiology that is no longer antagonistic to the bacterial pathogen, but instead 'tolerates' its presence. Thus, the chicken becomes a carrier of the pathogen allowing it to survive in the intestine without causing disease. It is hoped that understanding these mechanisms of pathogen survival in the chicken will allow future research to exploit these novel disease tolerance mechanisms to impact poultry health and reduced foodborne infections of Salmonella. The gastrointestinal ecosystem involves interactions between the host, gut microbiota, and external environment. To colonize the gut of poultry, Salmonella must surmount barriers levied by the intestine including mucosal innate immune responses and microbiota-mediated niche restrictions. Accordingly, comprehending Salmonella intestinal colonization in poultry requires an understanding of how the pathogen interacts with the intestinal ecosystem. In chickens, the paratyphoid Salmonella have evolved the capacity to survive the initial immune response and persist in the avian ceca for months without triggering clinical signs. The persistence of a Salmonella infection in the avian host involves both host defenses and tolerogenic defense strategies. The initial phase of the Salmonella–gut ecosystem interaction is characteristically an innate pro-inflammatory response that controls bacterial invasion. The second phase is initiated by an expansion of the T regulatory cell population in the cecum of Salmonella-infected chickens accompanied by well-defined shifts in the enteric neuro-immunometabolic pathways that changes the local phenotype from pro-inflammatory to an anti-inflammatory environment. Thus, paratyphoid Salmonella in chickens have evolved a unique survival strategy that minimizes the inflammatory response (disease resistance) during the initial infection and then induces an immunometabolic reprogramming in the cecum that alters the host defense to disease tolerance that provides an environment conducive to drive asymptomatic carriage of the bacterial pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the gap in understanding the diversity, species, and functional trait distribution of different algal groups that occur in the Okavango Delta (a near-pristine subtropical wetland in northwestern Botswana) across hydrological and habitat gradients. We systematically characterize the delta's algal flora, addressing the gap left by previous research that was limited to single algal groups (e.g., diatoms) and/or only looking at upstream areas in the Okavango River basin. We analyzed 130 algal samples from 49 upstream and downstream sites with higher and lower flooding frequency, respectively, across a river-to-floodplain habitat gradient. Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta dominated both abundance and taxon richness (>80%) of the total 494 taxa found from 49,158 algal units counted (cells, colonies, coenobia, and filaments). Smaller algae were more abundant in downstream floodplains than in upstream channels and lagoons. Motile and siliceous algae were much more abundant than non-motile, nitrogen fixing, and phagotrophic algae. The frequency of these traits was associated more with flooding frequency than habitat type. The highest algal richness and diversity were found downstream, where shallow floodplain ecosystems with seasonally fluctuating water depths offer greater habitat heterogeneity, and macronutrients are resuspended. The increasing threats from upstream water abstraction plans, fracking, and climate change require enhanced protection and monitoring of the Okavango Delta's natural annual flood-pulse to maintain the high species and functional diversity of this unique wetland's microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and is classically characterized by two major histopathological abnormalities: extracellular plaques composed of amyloid beta (Aβ) and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau. Due to the progressive nature of the disease, it is of the utmost importance to develop disease-modifying therapeutics that tackle AD pathology in its early stages. Attenuation of hippocampal hyperactivity, one of the earliest neuronal abnormalities observed in AD brains, has emerged as a promising strategy to ameliorate cognitive deficits and abate the spread of neurotoxic species. This aberrant hyperactivity has been attributed in part to the dysfunction of voltage-gated Na+ (Nav) channels, which are central mediators of neuronal excitability. Therefore, targeting Nav channels is a promising strategy for developing disease-modifying therapeutics that can correct aberrant neuronal phenotypes in early-stage AD. This review will explore the role of Nav channels in neuronal function, their connections to AD pathology, and their potential as therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for assessing three-dimensional (3D) breast volume are becoming increasingly popular in breast surgery. However, the precision of intraoperative volumetric assessment is still unclear. Until now, only non-validated scanning systems have been used for intraoperative volumetric analyses. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, handling, and accuracy of a commercially available, validated, and portable device for intraoperative 3D volumetric evaluation. All patients who underwent breast surgery from 2020 to 2022 were identified from our institutional database. Intraoperative 3D volumetric assessments of 103 patients were included in this study. Standardized 3D volumetric measurements were obtained 3 months postoperatively to compare the intraoperatively generated volumetric assessment. All of the study participants were women with a mean age of 48.3 ± 14.7 years (range: 20–89). The mean time for intraoperative volumetric assessment was 8.7 ± 2.6 min. The postoperative 3D volumetric assessment, with a mean volume of 507.11 ± 206.29 cc, showed no significant difference from the intraoperative volumetric measurements of 504.24 ± 276.61 cc (p = 0.68). The mean absolute volume difference between the intraoperative simulations and postoperative results was 27.1 cc. Intraoperative 3D volumetric assessment using the VECTRA H2 imaging system seems to be a feasible, reliable, and accurate method for measuring breast volume. Based on this finding, we plan to investigate whether volumetric objective evaluations will help to improve breast symmetry in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse extracellular and intracellular cues activate mammalian mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Canonically, the activation starts at cell surface receptors and continues via intracellular MAPK components, acting in the host cell nucleus as activators of transcriptional programs to regulate various cellular activities, including proinflammatory responses against bacterial pathogens. For instance, binding host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells to bacterial pathogen external components trigger the MAPK/NF-κB signaling cascade, eliciting cytokine production. This results in an innate immune response that can eliminate the bacterial pathogen. However, enteric bacterial pathogens evolved sophisticated mechanisms that interfere with such a response by delivering virulent proteins, termed effectors, and toxins into the host cells. These proteins act in numerous ways to inactivate or activate critical components of the MAPK signaling cascades and innate immunity. The consequence of such activities could lead to successful bacterial colonization, dissemination, and pathogenicity. This article will review enteric bacterial pathogens' strategies to modulate MAPKs and host responses. It will also discuss findings attempting to develop anti-microbial treatments by targeting MAPKs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful cultivation of Dinophysis norvegica Claparède & Lachmann, 1859, isolated from Japanese coastal waters, is presented in this study, which also includes an examination of its toxin content and production for the first time. Maintaining the strains at a high abundance (>2000 cells per mL−1) for more than 20 months was achieved by feeding them with the ciliate Mesodinium rubrum Lohmann, 1908, along with the addition of the cryptophyte Teleaulax amphioxeia (W.Conrad) D.R.A.Hill, 1992. Toxin production was examined using seven established strains. At the end of the one-month incubation period, the total amounts of pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) ranged between 132.0 and 375.0 ng per mL−1 (n = 7), and 0.7 and 3.6 ng per mL−1 (n = 3), respectively. Furthermore, only one strain was found to contain a trace level of okadaic acid (OA). Similarly, the cell quota of pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) ranged from 60.6 to 152.4 pg per cell−1 (n = 7) and 0.5 to 1.2 pg per cell−1 (n = 3), respectively. The results of this study indicate that toxin production in this species is subject to variation depending on the strain. According to the growth experiment, D. norvegica exhibited a long lag phase, as suggested by the slow growth observed during the first 12 days. In the growth experiment, D. norvegica grew very slowly for the first 12 days, suggesting they had a long lag phase. However, after that, they grew exponentially, with a maximum growth rate of 0.56 divisions per day (during Days 24–27), reaching a maximum concentration of 3000 cells per mL−1 at the end of the incubation (Day 36). In the toxin production study, the concentration of DTX1 and PTX2 increased following their vegetative growth, but the toxin production still increased exponentially on Day 36 (1.3 ng per mL−1 and 154.7 ng per mL−1 of DTX1 and PTX2, respectively). The concentration of OA remained below detectable levels (≤0.010 ng per mL−1) during the 36-day incubation period, with the exception of Day 6. This study presents new information on the toxin production and content of D. norvegica, as well as insights into the maintenance and culturing of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Early cancer detection is a challenge in treating cancer patients. Remarkably, carcinomas of the breast, lung, liver, pancreas, ovary, and colon contribute to more than 50% of total incidences and mortality annually, which could be reduced by early detection. As mucins are highly upregulated during the early progression of these cancers, several studies have explored mucins as potential biomarkers. Due to their membrane-bound and secretory nature, mucins have been detected in tumor biopsies and liquid biopsies of cancer patients, including blood and urine samples. We compiled here previous studies advocating for the use of mucins as potential biomarkers for the early detection of cancer and discuss the opportunities and challenges related to the use of mucin biomarkers in combination with other biomarkers and detection modalities. Early detection significantly correlates with improved survival in cancer patients. So far, a limited number of biomarkers have been validated to diagnose cancers at an early stage. Considering the leading cancer types that contribute to more than 50% of deaths in the USA, we discuss the ongoing endeavors toward early detection of lung, breast, ovarian, colon, prostate, liver, and pancreatic cancers to highlight the significance of mucin glycoproteins in cancer diagnosis. As mucin deregulation is one of the earliest events in most epithelial malignancies following oncogenic transformation, these high-molecular-weight glycoproteins are considered potential candidates for biomarker development. The diagnostic potential of mucins is mainly attributed to their deregulated expression, altered glycosylation, splicing, and ability to induce autoantibodies. Secretory and shed mucins are commonly detected in patients' sera, body fluids, and tumor biopsies. For instance, CA125, also called MUC16, is one of the biomarkers implemented for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer and is currently being investigated for other malignancies. Similarly, MUC5AC, a secretory mucin, is a potential biomarker for pancreatic cancer. Moreover, anti-mucin autoantibodies and mucin-packaged exosomes have opened new avenues of biomarker development for early cancer diagnosis. In this review, we discuss the diagnostic potential of mucins in epithelial cancers and provide evidence and a rationale for developing a mucin-based biomarker panel for early cancer detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries management requires the best scientific knowledge on the exploitation and conservation status of stocks. This is challenging for by-catch species, for which necessary data for their assessment is more limited than for target ones. That is the case for the thornback ray, Raja clavata, in the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean), whose exploitation and conservation status are addressed here for the first time, in an integrative approach, by using innovative assessment methods and genetic diversity analysis. The time series of fishing landings from 1964 and MEDITS trawl survey data from 2004 were used to apply CMSY++ and Bayesian state-space Schaefer production models. We also estimated the genetic diversity of the Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene from 31 individuals collected during MEDITS surveys. The species showed overexploitation with a current fishing mortality (F) below that producing maximum sustainable yield (FMSY), but with a current stock biomass (B) lower than BMSY. Despite the fact that the exploitation status is stable or even has improved in the last decades, the overexploitation period since the late 1970s seems to have reduced levels of genetic diversity, below those of related species and other populations of R. clavata. This low genetic diversity may entail the loss of adaptive potential, making the species more vulnerable to fishing and the current climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is aggressive, highly metastatic, and associated with poor patient prognosis. Sialyl-Lewis X and A (sLeX/A) are sugars with important roles in cell signalling and metastasis. We aimed to describe the relevance of sLeX/A in TNBC patients and its association with other biomarkers. We identified that sLeX/A negatively correlated with cytokeratins, structural proteins present at the cell cytoskeleton, and are involved in cell attachment, by using patient tissues, cell lines, and datasets. Our data suggests that sLeX/A is decorating proteins such as integrin alpha 6, deregulating cell signalling responsible for hemidesmosome formation, impacting cell adhesion, and promoting metastatic behaviour. This work highlights sLeX/A as an important biomarker behind TNBC malignancy to target and treat this breast cancer type. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) encompasses multiple entities and is generally highly aggressive and metastatic. We aimed to determine the clinical and biological relevance of Sialyl-Lewis X and A (sLeX/A)—a fucosylated glycan involved in metastasis—in TNBC. Here, we studied tissues from 50 TNBC patients, transcripts from a TNBC dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and a primary breast cancer cell line. All 50 TNBC tissue samples analysed expressed sLeX/A. Patients with high expression of sLeX/A had 3 years less disease-free survival than patients with lower expression. In tissue, sLeX/A negatively correlated with cytokeratins 5/6 (CK5/6, which was corroborated by the inverse correlation between fucosyltransferases and CK5/6 genes. Our observations were confirmed in vitro when inhibition of sLeX/A remarkably increased expression of CK5/6, followed by a decreased proliferation and invasion capacity. Among the reported glycoproteins bearing sLeX/A and based on the STRING tool, α6 integrin showed the highest interaction score with CK5/6. This is the first report on the sLeX/A expression in TNBC, highlighting its association with lower disease-free survival and its inverse crosstalk with CK5/6 with α6 integrin as a mediator. All in all, sLeX/A is critical for TNBC malignancy and a potential prognosis biomarker and therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sialylation is the synthetic process of sialoglycans, which are important in tumor transformation, proliferation, metastasis, and immune evasion. The primary subjects of cancer sialylation-related articles over the past decade have been sialylation, cancer, immunotherapy, and metastasis. The interactions of selectins with abnormal sialylated integrins activate endothelial cells and help tumor cells spread. Cancer sialylation conceals tumor antigenic epitopes and suppresses the immunological environment, allowing cancer cells to evade immune surveillance. Targeting tumor-derived sialoglycans may be an effective cancer therapeutic strategy for limiting tumor cell spread, revealing immunogenic tumor antigens, and boosting anti-cancer immunity. Sialylation is an enzymatic process that covalently attaches sialic acids to glycoproteins and glycolipids and terminates them by creating sialic acid-containing glycans (sialoglycans). Sialoglycans, usually located in the outmost layers of cells, play crucial biological roles, notably in tumor transformation, growth, metastasis, and immune evasion. Thus, a deeper comprehension of sialylation in cancer will help to facilitate the development of innovative cancer therapies. Cancer sialylation-related articles have consistently increased over the last four years. The primary subjects of these studies are sialylation, cancer, immunotherapy, and metastasis. Tumor cells activate endothelial cells and metastasize to distant organs in part by the interactions of abnormally sialylated integrins with selectins. Furthermore, cancer sialylation masks tumor antigenic epitopes and induces an immunosuppressive environment, allowing cancer cells to escape immune monitoring. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes develop different recognition epitopes for glycosylated and nonglycosylated peptides. Therefore, targeting tumor-derived sialoglycans is a promising approach to cancer treatments for limiting the dissemination of tumor cells, revealing immunogenic tumor antigens, and boosting anti-cancer immunity. Exploring the exact tumor sialoglycans may facilitate the identification of new glycan targets, paving the way for the development of customized cancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized neoantigen-based cancer vaccines have been shown to be safe and immunogenic in cancer patients; however, the manufacturing process can be costly and bring about delays in treatment. Using off-the-shelf cancer vaccines targeting shared neoantigens may circumvent these problems. Unique mutational signatures and similar phenotypes found among BRCA1-mutated breast cancer make it an ideal candidate for discovering shared neoantigens within the group. We obtained genome sequencing data of breast cancer samples with or without somatic BRCA1 mutations (BRCA1-positive and BRCA1-negative, respectively) from the three public cancer databases; The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC); and from three studies with whole genome/exome sequencing data of samples with germline BRCA1 mutations. Data were analyzed separately within the same database/cohort. We found PIK3CA H1047R, E545K, E542K, and N345K recurrently in BRCA1-negative groups across all databases, whereas recurrent somatic mutations in BRCA1-positive groups were discordant among databases. For germline BRCA1-mutated breast cancer, TP53 R175H was unanimously the most frequent mutation among the three germline cohorts. Our study provides lists of potential shared neoantigens among BRCA1-related breast cancer, which may be used in developing off-the-shelf neoantigen-based vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: All cells are covered in a thick layer of sugar molecules known as glycans. Changes to this sugar coat are common in cancer, and in particular cancer cells often display high levels of a glycan known as sialic acid. Sialic acid glycans play important roles in cancer biology and can help tumours grow, spread to other sites, and evade the immune system. Strategies to target sialic acid are being actively investigated and hold huge potential for cancer research. Here, I outline why sialic acid is so important in cancer, discuss recent advances in this field, and highlight opportunities for the development of new sialic acid targeting therapies. The surface of every eukaryotic cell is coated in a thick layer of glycans that acts as a key interface with the extracellular environment. Cancer cells have a different 'glycan coat' to healthy cells and aberrant glycosylation is a universal feature of cancer cells linked to all of the cancer hallmarks. This means glycans hold huge potential for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. One key change in tumour glycosylation is increased sialylation, both on N-glycans and O-glycans, which leads to a dense forest of sialylated structures covering the cell surface. This hypersialylation has far-reaching consequences for cancer cells, and sialylated glycans are fundamental in tumour growth, metastasis, immune evasion and drug resistance. The development of strategies to inhibit aberrant sialylation in cancer represents an important opportunity to develop new therapeutics. Here, I summarise recent advances to target aberrant sialylation in cancer, including the development of sialyltransferase inhibitors and strategies to inhibit Siglecs and Selectins, and discuss opportunities for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leisure time activities in childhood may have a crucial role in the development of subjective well-being. Nevertheless, more research is needed with cross-national samples concerning the differential effects of lifestyles on life satisfaction. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the associations between the frequency of playing sports/exercise or playing electronic games on life satisfaction in a sample of 12-year-old children from nine countries from the European Union. The data used in this publication come from the third wave of the Children's Worlds project, an international survey of children's lives and well-being whose administration started in 2017. The sample was composed of 10,626 children (50.9% boys) from Estonia, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, and Spain. They completed the Student Life Satisfaction Scale and answered two questions to assess the frequency of playing sport or exercise, and the frequency of playing electronic games. The results indicated notable scores in life satisfaction in all participating countries. The results showed some differences between boys and girls, and among the countries, in the frequency of sport practice and electronic games in the leisure time, as well as in the overall level of life satisfaction. The results also underlined that sport practice had a greater positive effect on life satisfaction than the use of electronic games. Thus, this study highlights the need to design programs to promote sport practice in leisure time for 12-year-old children in Europe, in order to protect their subjective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Agricultural wastes generated in farmers' cooperatives constitute valuable resources for the bioeconomy and can be recycled into biochar to contribute to the implementation of economically and environmentally sustainable agricultural production in the forests of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Improving the livelihoods of communities living in fragile ecosystems, such as tropical forests, is among the main strategies to promote their conservation and preserve wildlife. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, farmers' cooperatives are recognized as an important mechanism to improve the socioeconomic conditions of local communities. This study analyzes the integration of pyrolysis processes to convert agricultural waste into biochar as a way to implement the bioeconomy in these organizations. We found that post-harvesting processes in the studied farmers' cooperatives are similar, and coffee husks are a potential feedstock to produce biochar. Although the environmental policies in Ecuador consider the valorization of agricultural waste, we did not find any specific standard to regulate the operation of pyrolysis facilities. Nonetheless, conversion of agricultural waste into biochar can contribute to (i) replacement of subsidized fossil fuels used in drying processes, (ii) prevention of environmental pollution caused by accumulation of waste, (iii) emergence of new income sources linked with the provision of carbon sequestration services, and (iv) the long-term maintenance of soil fertility. Currently, demonstration projects are needed to stimulate collaboration among farmers' cooperatives, academia, the government, international cooperation agencies, and existing forest conservation initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper was description of seasonal and interannual trends in secondary production and mortality rates of the three most important Copepoda taxa in the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea). Samples were collected monthly from six stations located in the western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk during three research periods: 1998–2000, 2006–2007, and 2010–2012. Production was calculated based on copepod biomass and mortality rates estimated according to vertical life table approach. Redundancy analysis was used to investigate relationship between secondary production and environmental conditions. During the entire research period there was significant interannual and seasonal variability of secondary production, mortality rate, as well as abundance and biomass anomalies. Conducted analysis revealed positive correlation between increasing temperature and production of Acartia spp. and Temora longicornis developmental stages, while older copepodites of Pseudocalanus acuspes showed almost negative correlation with temperature. The mortality rate estimations obtained for Acartia spp. were the highest in summer, while Temora longicornis peaked in spring–summer period. The lowest mortality rate estimations were noted in autumn and winter for almost all stages of investigated taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous evolution in preventive medicine has anointed vaccination a versatile, human-health improving tool, which has led to a steady decline in deaths in the developing world. Maternal immunization represents an incisive step forward for the field of vaccination as it provides protection against various life-threatening diseases in pregnant women and their children. A number of studies to improve prevention rates and expand protection against the largest possible number of infections are still in progress. The complex unicity of the mother-infant interaction, both during and after pregnancy and which involves immune system cells and molecules, is an able partner in the success of maternal immunization, as intended thus far. Interestingly, new studies have shed light on the versatility of maternal immunization in protecting infants from non-infectious related diseases, such as allergy, asthma and congenital metabolic disorders. However, barely any attempt at applying maternal immunization to the prevention of childhood cancer has been made. The most promising study reported in this new field is a recent proof of concept on the efficacy of maternal immunization in protecting cancer-prone offspring against mammary tumor progression. New investigations into the possibility of exploiting maternal immunization to prevent the onset and/or progression of neuroblastoma, one of the most common childhood malignancies, are therefore justified. Maternal immunization is presented in a new guise in this review. Attention will be focused on its versatility and potential applications in preventing tumor progression in neuroblastoma-prone offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conceptual framework was constructed for United Nations’ complex Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 4.7 focusing on education for sustainable development (ESD), and used to analyse the usefulness and character of indicators produced from a values-based approach called ESDinds, compared to a UN process. The analysis shows that the latter generated very few indicators concerning the wider aspects of knowledge such as ‘critical thinking’ or ‘learning to learn’. The values-based approach, created for a different purpose, produced complementary if not better coverage of Target 4.7, including finely-developed concepts for competencies and less tangible aspects. It is suggested that the UN process would benefit from ESDinds design elements such as intersubjective and slightly disruptive elements, purposeful contextualisation at group level, and a holistic and inductive consideration of values. The use of a reference ‘fuzzy framework’ of slightly generalised proto-indicators suited for deep contextualisation locally is recommended, rather than any rigid global-level indicator with unclear local value. It is recommended that ESD practitioners immediately develop localised interpretations of valid measures for whatever final Target 4.7 indicator is selected by the UN, as this localisation process will itself cause important learning towards local ESD achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) is one of the major left-lateral strike-slip faults in the northeastern area of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, the interseismic deformation across the ATF at 85°E was measured using 216 interferograms from 33 ENVISAT advanced synthetic aperture radar images on a descending track acquired from 2003 to 2010, and 66 interferograms from 15 advanced synthetic aperture radar images on an ascending track acquired from 2005 to 2010. To retrieve the pattern of interseismic strain accumulation, a global atmospheric model (ERA-Interim) provided by the European Center for Medium RangeWeather Forecast and a global network orbital correction approach were applied to remove atmospheric effects and the long-wavelength orbital errors in the interferograms. Then, the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series with atmospheric estimation model was used to obtain a deformation rate map for the ATF. Based on the InSAR velocity map, the regional strain rates field was calculated for the first time using the multi-scale wavelet method. The strain accumulation is strongly focused on the ATF with the maximum strain rate of 12.4 10-8/year. We also show that high-resolution 2-D strain rates field can be calculated from InSAR alone, even without GPS data. Using a simple half-space elastic screw dislocation model, the slip-rate and locking depth were estimated with both ascending and descending surface velocity measurements. The joint inversion results are consistent with a left-lateral slip rate of 8.0 ± 0.7 mm/year on the ATF and a locking depth of 14.5 ± 3 km, which is in agreement with previous results from GPS surveys and ERS InSAR results. Our results support the dynamic models of Asian deformation requiring low fault slip rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of an aberrant glycosylation pathway in cancer cells can lead to expression of the onco-foetal sialyl-Tn (sTn) antigen. STn is a truncated O-glycan containing a sialic acid α-2,6 linked to GalNAc α-O-Ser/Thr and is associated with an adverse outcome and poor prognosis in cancer patients. The biosynthesis of the sTn antigen has been linked to the expression of the sialytransferase ST6GalNAc1, and also to mutations in and loss of heterozygosity of the COSMC gene. sTn neo- or over-expression occurs in many types of epithelial cancer including gastric, colon, breast, lung, oesophageal, prostate and endometrial cancer. sTn is believed to be carried by a variety of glycoproteins and may influence protein function and be involved in tumour development. This review discusses how the role of sTn in cancer development and tumour cell invasiveness might be organ specific and occur through different mechanisms depending on each cancer type or subtype. As the sTn-antigen is expressed early in carcinogenesis targeting sTn in cancer may enable the targeting of tumours from the earliest stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbohydrate antigens Tn and sialyl-Tn (STn) are expressed in most carcinomas and usually absent in healthy tissues. These antigens have been correlated with cancer progression and poor prognosis, and associated with immunosuppressive microenvironment. Presently they are used in clinical trials as therapeutic vaccination, but with limited success due to their low immunogenicity. Alternatively, anti-Tn and/or STn antibodies may be used to harness the immune system against tumor cells. Whilst the development of antibodies against these antigens had a boost two decades ago for diagnostic use, so far no such antibody entered into clinical trials. Possible limitations are the low specificity and efficiency of existing antibodies and that novel antibodies are still necessary. The vast array of methodologies available today will allow rapid antibody development and novel formats. Following the advent of hybridoma technology, the immortalization of human B cells became a methodology to obtain human monoclonal antibodies with better specificity. Advances in molecular biology including phage display technology for high throughput screening, transgenic mice and more recently molecularly engineered antibodies enhanced the field of antibody production. The development of novel antibodies against Tn and STn taking advantage of innovative technologies and engineering techniques may result in innovative therapeutic antibodies for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sialyl-Tn antigen (STn) is a short O-glycan containing a sialic acid residue α2,6-linked to GalNAcα-O-Ser/Thr. The biosynthesis of STn is mediated by a specific sialyltransferase termed ST6GalNAc I, which competes with O-glycans elongating glycosyltransferases and prevents cancer cells from exhibiting longer O-glycans. While weakly expressed by fetal and normal adult tissues, STn is expressed by more than 80% of human carcinomas and in all cases, STn detection is associated with adverse outcome and decreased overall survival for the patients. Because of its pan-carcinoma expression associated with an adverse outcome, an anti-cancer vaccine, named Theratope, has been designed towards the STn epitope. In spite of the great enthusiasm around this immunotherapy, Theratope failed on Phase III clinical trial. However, in lieu of missing this target, one should consider to revise the Theratope design and the actual facts. In this review, we highlight the many lessons that can be learned from this failure from the immunological standpoint, as well as from the drug design and formulation and patient selection. Moreover, an irrefutable knowledge is arising from novel immunotherapies targeting other carbohydrate antigens and STn carrier proteins, such as MUC1, that will warrantee the future development of more successful anti-STn immunotherapy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MUC1 is a membrane-tethered mucin expressed on the ductal cell surface of glandular epithelial cells. Loss of polarization, overexpression and aberrant glycosylation of MUC1 in mucosal inflammation and in adenocarcinomas induces humoral immune responses to the mucin. MUC1 IgG responses have been associated with a benefit in survival in patients with breast, lung, pancreatic, ovarian and gastric carcinomas. Antibodies bound to the mucin may curb tumor progression by restoring cell-cell interactions altered by tumor-associated MUC1, thus preventing metastatic dissemination, as well as counteracting the immune suppression exerted by the molecule. Furthermore, anti-MUC1 antibodies are capable of effecting tumor cell killing by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Although cytotoxic T cells are indispensable to achieve anti-tumor responses in advanced disease, abs to tumor-associated antigens are ideally suited to address minimal residual disease and may be sufficient to exert adequate immune surveillance in an adjuvant setting, destroying tumor cells as they arise or maintaining occult disease in an equilibrium state. Initial evaluation of MUC1 peptide/glycopeptide mono and polyvalent vaccines has shown them to be immunogenic and safe; anti-tumor responses are scarce. Progress in carbohydrate synthesis has yielded a number of sophisticated substrates that include MUC1 glycopeptide epitopes that are at present in preclinical testing. Adjuvant vaccination with MUC1 glycopeptide polyvalent vaccines that induce strong humoral responses may prevent recurrence of disease in patients with early stage carcinomas. Furthermore, prophylactic immunotherapy targeting MUC1 may be a strategy to strengthen immune surveillance and prevent disease in subjects at hereditary high risk of breast, ovarian and colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is China's dominant energy source, among which bituminous coal is the most extensive and plentiful. Using bituminous coal resources to design a low-emission household fuel is very important for rural poverty areas. In this work, a new type of bituminous coal pellet (BCP) fuel using an automatic prototype pellet stove was designed for the first time. This study mainly shows the emission characteristic results of BCPs and some comparisons with other commercial solid fuels. Fuel property, PM2.5 morphology, and ash characteristics of the novel fuel were also assessed. In terms of fuel properties, BCPs had a cold compressive strength of 637.2 N, a heating value of 22.26 MJ/kg, and many fine pores in the cross-section for air entry. The real-time emissions of BCPs were stable during combustion. The emission factors of PM2.5 and CO of BCPs were 1.36–2.29 g/kg and 11.1–18.0 g/kg, which were significantly lower than those of bituminous chunk and bituminous briquette (p < 0.05). PM2.5 and CO reduced emissions by 83–90% and 61–76%, respectively, compared with raw coal chunk. According to the chemical composition and morphological characteristics, the PM2.5 from BCP combustion can be divided into fine particulates, molten char particles, and char fragmentation. The ash from BCPs had a higher melting temperature (over 1300 °C), with removable ash agglomeration. Overall, the results presented in this study highlight that turning bituminous coal into pellets and burning them in automatic stoves could noticeably reduce PM2.5 and CO emissions, effectively improving rural air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of cancer death in the world. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been extensively studied in malignancies due to its relevance in tumor pathogenesis and therapy. This review is focused on the dysregulation of glycosyltransferase expression in CRC and its impact in cell function and in several biological pathways associated with CRC pathogenesis, prognosis and therapeutic approaches. Glycan structures act as interface molecules between cells and their environment and in several cases facilitate molecule function. CRC tissue shows alterations in glycan structures decorating molecules, such as annexin-1, mucins, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), β1 integrin, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) receptors, Fas (CD95), PD-L1, decorin, sorbin and SH3 domain-containing protein 1 (SORBS1), CD147 and glycosphingolipids. All of these are described as key molecules in oncogenesis and metastasis. Therefore, glycosylation in CRC can affect cell migration, cell–cell adhesion, actin polymerization, mitosis, cell membrane repair, apoptosis, cell differentiation, stemness regulation, intestinal mucosal barrier integrity, immune system regulation, T cell polarization and gut microbiota composition; all such functions are associated with the prognosis and evolution of the disease. According to these findings, multiple strategies have been evaluated to alter oligosaccharide processing and to modify glycoconjugate structures in order to control CRC progression and prevent metastasis. Additionally, immunotherapy approaches have contemplated the use of neo-antigens, generated by altered glycosylation, as targets for tumor-specific T cells or engineered CAR (Chimeric antigen receptors) T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of tropical floodplains have shown that algae are the primary source material for higher consumers in freshwater aquatic habitats. Thus, methods that can predict the spatial variation of algal productivity provide an important input to better inform management and conservation of floodplains. In this study, a prediction of the spatial variability in algal productivity was made for the Mitchell River floodplain in northern Australia. The spatial variation of aquatic habitat types and turbidity were estimated using satellite remote sensing and then combined with statistical modelling to map the spatial variation in algal primary productivity. Open water and submerged plants habitats, covering 79% of the freshwater flooded floodplain extent, had higher rates of algal production compared to the 21% cover of emergent and floating aquatic plant habitats. Across the floodplain, the predicted average algal productivity was 150.9 ± 95.47 SD mg C m−2 d−1 and the total daily algal production was estimated to be 85.02 ± 0.07 SD ton C. This study provides a spatially explicit representation of habitat types, turbidity, and algal productivity on a tropical floodplain and presents an approach to map 'hotspots' of algal production and provide key insights into the functioning of complex floodplain–river ecosystems. As this approach uses satellite remotely sensed data, it can be applied in different floodplains worldwide to identify areas of high ecological value that may be sensitive to development and be used by decision makers and river managers to protect these important ecological assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Myc family of oncogenes is deregulated in many types of cancer, and their over-expression is often correlated with poor prognosis. The Myc family members are transcription factors that can coordinate the expression of thousands of genes. Among them, c-Myc (MYC) is the gene most strongly associated with cancer, and it is the focus of this review. It regulates the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, self-renewal, survival, metabolism, protein synthesis, and apoptosis. More recently, novel studies have shown that MYC plays a role not only in tumor initiation and growth but also has a broader spectrum of functions in tumor progression. MYC contributes to angiogenesis, immune evasion, invasion, and migration, which all lead to distant metastasis. Moreover, MYC is able to promote tumor growth and aggressiveness by recruiting stromal and tumor-infiltrating cells. In this review, we will dissect all of these novel functions and their involvement in the crosstalk between tumor and host, which have demonstrated that MYC is undoubtedly the master regulator of the tumor microenvironment. In sum, a better understanding of MYC's role in the tumor microenvironment and metastasis development is crucial in proposing novel and effective cancer treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protein glycosylation is a post-translational modification of crucial importance for its involvement in molecular recognition, protein trafficking, regulation, and inflammation. Indeed, abnormalities in protein glycosylation are correlated with several disease states such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and congenial disorders. The understanding of cellular mechanisms through the elucidation of glycan composition encourages researchers to find analytical solutions for their detection. Actually, the multiplicity and diversity of glycan structures bond to the proteins, the variations in polarity of the individual saccharide residues, and the poor ionization efficiencies make their detection much trickier than other kinds of biopolymers. An overview of the most prominent techniques based on mass spectrometry (MS) for protein glycosylation (glycoproteomics) studies is here presented. The tricks and pre-treatments of samples are discussed as a crucial step prodromal to the MS analysis to improve the glycan ionization efficiency. Therefore, the different instrumental MS mode is also explored for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of glycopeptides and the glycans structural composition, thus contributing to the elucidation of biological mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical floodplain wetlands are found in low-lying areas that are periodically inundated. During wet periods, these wetlands can receive large amounts of suspended and dissolved material from the catchment, including many potential pollutants. In this study, we use traditional isotope tracers (δ15N and δ13C) along with soil eDNA to investigate the sources of transported materials and potential contaminants in seven forested floodplain wetlands in tropical Australia. We hypothesised that eDNA and isotope tracers in the soil would reflect the land use of the catchment. Our goal was to test whether eDNA could be used as a potential tool to identify and monitor pollutants in floodplain wetlands. The sampling sites were located within catchments that have a mosaic of land types, from well-conserved rainforests to intensive agricultural land uses, such as grazing, sugar cane, wood production, and horticulture. The soil eDNA was comprised of a mix of plant species consistent with the land use of the catchments. Most of the eDNA pool was derived from native trees, accounting for 46.2 ± 6.5% of the total; while cultivated species associated with agricultural activities contributed to 1–24% of the total. From the cultivated species, highest contributions (>5%) were from Sorghum sp. used for grazing, banana (Musa ornata), melons (Cucumis melo), and Pinus radiata and Juniperus sp. grown for wood production. Interestingly, tropical wetlands on sites 15 km offshore had soil eDNA from agricultural activities of the mainland, highlighting the connectivity of these wetlands, probably during extensive floods. Overall, soil eDNA, more than isotopic tracers, showed promising results for tracing and monitoring potential pollutants in tropical floodplain wetlands that are highly connected and susceptible to environmental degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical paper addresses the need for more in depth understanding of signs and characteristics of transgressive learning in a context of runaway climate change. In a world characterized by systemic global dysfunction, there is an urgency to foster rapid systemic change which can steer our paths towards meeting the SDG goals. The contention of this paper is that, although there is a need for rapid change, it is fundamental to understand how such change can come about, so as to co-create and investigate learning environments and forms of learning that can lead to a systemic change towards sustainability. Anchored in the emerging concept of transgressive learning, this article employs the innovative Living Spiral model to track critical learning moments by facilitators and participants in multi-stakeholder Transformation Labs (T-Labs), which took place in 2017/2018 in various grassroots sustainability initiatives in Colombia and The Netherlands. The results of the analysis highlight the importance of the values of "acknowledging uncertainty", "community", and "relationality" in disrupting world-views through promoting reflexivity in participants and facilitators. This paper concludes that more research on the power dynamics of "absences" in transformative research is needed to better capture the challenges of overcoming sustainability challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hanwoo, is the most popular native beef cattle in South Korea. Due to its extensive popularity, research is ongoing to enhance its carcass quality and marbling traits. In this study we conducted a haplotype-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) by constructing haplotype blocks by three methods: number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a haplotype block (nsnp), length of genomic region in kb (Len) and linkage disequilibrium (LD). Significant haplotype blocks and genes associated with them were identified for carcass traits such as BFT (back fat thickness), EMA (eye Muscle area), CWT (carcass weight) and MS (marbling score). Gene-set enrichment analysis and functional annotation of genes in the significantly-associated loci revealed candidate genes, including PLCB1 and PLCB4 present on BTA13, coding for phospholipases, which might be important candidates for increasing fat deposition due to their role in lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. CEL (carboxyl ester lipase), a bile-salt activated lipase, responsible for lipid catabolic process was also identified within the significantly-associated haplotype block on BTA11. The results were validated in a different Hanwoo population. The genes and pathways identified in this study may serve as good candidates for improving carcass traits in Hanwoo cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sialic acids, a subset of nine carbon acidic sugars, often exist as the terminal sugars of glycans on either glycoproteins or glycolipids on the cell surface. Sialic acids play important roles in many physiological and pathological processes via carbohydrate-protein interactions, including cell–cell communication, bacterial and viral infections. In particular, hypersialylation in tumors, as well as their roles in tumor growth and metastasis, have been widely described. Recent studies have indicated that the aberrant sialylation is a vital way for tumor cells to escape immune surveillance and keep malignance. In this article, we outline the present state of knowledge on the metabolic pathway of human sialic acids, the function of hypersialylation in tumors, as well as the recent labeling and analytical techniques for sialic acids. It is expected to offer a brief introduction of sialic acid metabolism and provide advanced analytical strategies in sialic acid studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men, claiming over 350,000 lives worldwide annually. Current diagnosis relies on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, but this misses some aggressive tumours, and leads to the overtreatment of non-harmful disease. Hence, there is an urgent unmet clinical need to identify new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. As prostate cancer is a heterogeneous and multifocal disease, it is likely that multiple biomarkers will be needed to guide clinical decisions. Fluid-based biomarkers would be ideal, and attention is now turning to minimally invasive liquid biopsies, which enable the analysis of tumour components in patient blood or urine. Effective diagnostics using liquid biopsies will require a multifaceted approach, and a recent high-profile review discussed combining multiple analytes, including changes to the tumour transcriptome, epigenome, proteome, and metabolome. However, the concentration on genomics-based paramaters for analysing liquid biopsies is potentially missing a goldmine. Glycans have shown huge promise as disease biomarkers, and data suggests that integrating biomarkers across multi-omic platforms (including changes to the glycome) can improve the stratification of patients with prostate cancer. A wide range of alterations to glycans have been observed in prostate cancer, including changes to PSA glycosylation, increased sialylation and core fucosylation, increased O-GlcNacylation, the emergence of cryptic and branched N-glyans, and changes to galectins and proteoglycans. In this review, we discuss the huge potential to exploit glycans as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for prostate cancer, and argue that the inclusion of glycans in a multi-analyte liquid biopsy test for prostate cancer will help maximise clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is a major cause of mortality in women; however, technologies for early stage screening and diagnosis (e.g., mammography and other imaging technologies) are not optimal for the accurate detection of cancer. This creates demand for a more effective diagnostic means to replace or be complementary to existing technologies for early discovery of breast cancer. Cancer neoantigens could reflect tumorigenesis, but they are hardly detectable at the early stage. Autoantibodies, however, are biologically amplified and hence may be measurable early on, making them promising biomarkers to discriminate breast cancer from healthy tissue accurately. In this review, we summarized the recent findings of breast cancer specific antigens and autoantibodies, which may be useful in early detection, disease stratification, and monitoring of treatment responses of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity is a concept central to ecology, and its measurement is essential for any study of ecosystem health. But summarizing this complex and multidimensional concept in a single measure is problematic. Dozens of mathematical indices have been proposed for this purpose, but these can provide contradictory results leading to misleading or incorrect conclusions about a community’s diversity. In this review, we summarize the key conceptual issues underlying the measurement of ecological diversity, survey the indices most commonly used in ecology, and discuss their relative suitability. We advocate for indices that: (i) satisfy key mathematical axioms; (ii) can be expressed as so-called effective numbers; (iii) can be extended to account for disparity between types; (iv) can be parameterized to obtain diversity profiles; and (v) for which an estimator (preferably unbiased) can be found so that the index is useful for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell surface glycosylation is dynamic and often changes in response to cellular differentiation under physiological or pathophysiological conditions. Altered glycosylation on cancers cells is gaining attention due its wide-spread occurrence across a variety of cancer types and recent studies that have documented functional roles for aberrant glycosylation in driving cancer progression at various stages. One change in glycosylation that can correlate with cancer stage and disease prognosis is hypersialylation. Increased levels of sialic acid are pervasive in cancer and a growing body of evidence demonstrates how hypersialylation is advantageous to cancer cells, particularly from the perspective of modulating immune cell responses. Sialic acid-binding receptors, such as Siglecs and Selectins, are well-positioned to be exploited by cancer hypersialylation. Evidence is also mounting that Siglecs modulate key immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment, particularly those responsible for maintaining the appropriate inflammatory environment. From these studies have come new and innovative ways to block the effects of hypersialylation by directly reducing sialic acid on cancer cells or blocking interactions between sialic acid and Siglecs or Selectins. Here we review recent works examining how cancer cells become hypersialylated, how hypersialylation benefits cancer cells and tumors, and proposed therapies to abrogate hypersialylation of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]