Search

Abstract Transforming amines with low boiling points and high volatilities into protic salts is a versatile strategy to utilize low molecular weight compounds as precursors for N-doped carbon structures in a straightforward carbonization procedure. Herein, conventional mineral acids commonly used for the synthesis of protic salts were replaced by bio-derived phytic acid, which, combined with various amines and amino acids, yielded partially or fully bio-derived protic salts. The biomass-based salts showed higher char-forming ability than their mineral acid-based analogs (up to 55.9% at 800°), simultaneously providing carbon materials with significant porosity (up to 1177 m2g−1) and a considerable level of N,P,O-doping. Here, we present the first comprehensive study on the correlation between the structure of the bio-derived protic precursors and the properties of derived carbon materials to guide future designs of biomass-derived precursors for the one-step synthesis of sustainable carbon materials. Additionally, we demonstrate how to improve the textural properties of the protic-salt-derived carbons (which suffer from high brittleness) by simply upgrading them into highly flexible nanocomposites using high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes. Consequently, self-standing electrodes for the oxygen reduction reaction were created.

Abstract Most functional eukaryotic mRNAs contain a 5′ 7-methylguanosine (m7G) cap. Although capping is essential for many biological processes including mRNA processing, export and translation, the fate of uncapped transcripts has not been studied extensively. Here, we employed fast nuclear depletion of the capping enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to uncover the turnover of the transcripts that failed to be capped. We show that although the degradation of cap-deficient mRNA is dominant, the levels of hundreds of non-capped mRNAs increase upon depletion of the capping enzymes. Overall, the abundance of non-capped mRNAs is inversely correlated to the expression levels, altogether resembling the effects observed in cells lacking the cytoplasmic 5′−3′ exonuclease Xrn1 and indicating differential degradation fates of non-capped mRNAs. The inactivation of the nuclear 5′−3′ exonuclease Rat1 does not rescue the non-capped mRNA levels indicating that Rat1 is not involved in their degradation and consequently, the lack of the capping does not affect the distribution of RNA Polymerase II on the chromatin. Our data indicate that the cap presence is essential to initiate the Xrn1-dependent degradation of mRNAs underpinning the role of 5′ cap in the Xrn1-dependent buffering of the cellular mRNA levels.

Plant polysaccharides have gained interest in medical research for their ability to suppress various diseases, including cancer. However, information on some plant polysaccharides is yet to be uncovered. In this study, we screened crude polysaccharides extracted from six different plants for their antioxidative and antiproliferative activities. Crude polysaccharides were isolated from different parts of some plants using the established extraction protocol. The crude polysaccharides were evaluated for their chemical composition (protein, total sugar, and phenolics), free radical-scavenging activities, and antiproliferative activities against breast cancer MCF-7 cells as well as non-cancerous cells, i.e., human fibroblast MRC-5 cells and Cercopithecus aethiops kidney Vero cells, via an MTT assay and CM20 Incubation Monitoring System (Olympus) for MCF-7. The investigated crude polysaccharides showed significant variations in their chemical constituents and antioxidative properties. Only Moringa seed crude polysaccharide extracts showed significant antiproliferative activities at various concentrations, with an IC50 value of 0.061 mg/mL, which was about 2.6 folds higher on MRC-5 and Vero cell lines. The antiproliferative activities toward cancer cell lines and lack of significant toxicity in the case of normal cells indicate that this extract may be promising as a valuable source for novel cancer therapy.

Bo&zdot;ena Targo&nacute;ska-St&eogon;pniak,1 Krzysztof Grzechnik2 1Department of Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, 20-059, Poland; 2Department of Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, Independent Public Teaching Hospital No 4, Lublin, 20-059, PolandCorrespondence: Bo&zdot;ena Targo&nacute;ska-St&eogon;pniak, Department of Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases, Medical University of Lublin, Ul. Jaczewskiego 8, Lublin, 20-059, Poland, Tel +48 81 7244788, Email bozena.stepniak@umlub.plBackground: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by inflammation of multiple joints, resulting in irreversible cartilage and bone destruction. Chronic disease activity may be associated with metabolic disorders and premature atherosclerosis. Adipokines are involved not only in metabolism regulation, but also in inflammatory and immune response.Aim: This study is designed to explore relationships between adipokines (adiponectin, leptin) and metabolic parameters, as well as disease activity, in patients with chronic RA.Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 109 patients with RA. The clinical assessment was performed including tender and swollen joint counts, Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), body mass index (BMI). The following laboratory parameters were performed: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, glucose, lipid profile, creatinine. Serum levels of adiponectin and leptin were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: The mean adiponectin and leptin serum concentrations remained within normal ranges. Both, adiponectin and leptin levels were not associated with current disease activity markers (clinical and laboratory), and type of treatment. Significant relationships were found between adipokines and metabolic parameters, as well as with coexistent conditions and RA characteristics. Higher leptin levels were noticed in patients with hypertension. In the multiple linear regression analysis, correlations were confirmed. Adiponectin was positively correlated with HDL-C (b = 0.37, p < 0.001), age (b = 0.39, p< 0.001), and negatively with glucose (b = − 0.17, p = 0.03). Leptin was positively correlated with BMI (b = 0.58, p < 0.001), and negatively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (b = − 0.30, p < 0.001).Conclusion: The results of this study show the value of adipokines as indicators of metabolic disorders, rather than inflammatory markers in patients with chronic RA, treated with immunosuppressive or biological drugs. High leptin level may indicate poor prognostic factors, kidney and cardiovascular complications. Adiponectin seems to be protective against metabolic disorders in chronic RA.Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, adiponectin, leptin, disease activity, metabolic biomarker

(1) Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to determine if there is an association between MetS and parameters of RA activity, as well as between metabolic parameters and indices of RA activity. (2) Methods: This study involved 65 patients with RA. MetS was diagnosed according to the 2009 IDF/AHA/NHLBI criteria. The comparative analysis was conducted between RA patients with MetS (RA (MetS (+)) and without MetS (RA (MetS (−)). The activity of RA was assessed using clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound (US) parameters. (3) Results: Compared with RA MetS (−) patients, RA MetS (+) patients were characterized by higher disease activity, according to Disease Activity Score (DAS28), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). RA MetS (+) patients had significantly higher tender and swollen joint counts, and values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and US parameters (grey-scale (GSUS), power Doppler (PDUS)). Significant correlations were found between metabolic parameters (waist circumference, cholesterol and glucose concentrations) and indices of RA activity. (4) Conclusion: The results of this study show that, in patients with RA, the presence of MetS is associated with higher disease activity, based on several clinical, laboratory, and US parameters.

Introduction Borderline ovarian tumours develop most often in women under the age of 40, with latent onset and lack of specific symptoms. Due to the consequences they bring from the clinical point of view, they constitute a condition which requires considerable attention, with emphasis on pregnant women. The effect of pathological changes within the ovary on the course of pregnancy and perinatal outcomes is still a broad and up-to-date problem. Medical teams face challenges in the field of adequate diagnostics and therapy, as well as dilemmas regarding the assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of medical treatment and access to modern diagnostic methods, all of which determine the optimal medical solutions for any case. Objective The aim of this review is to compare the aspects related to the occurrence of borderline ovarian tumours in pregnant and non-pregnant women based on the current literature. Material and Methods A review of literature concerning the discussed problem was performed in PubMed database. The searching strategy was based on the following terms and keywords combinations: „borderline ovarian tumour”, „borderline ovarian tumour in pregnancy”, „adnexal masses”, and „ovarian tumour in pregnancy”. We considered all articles in English from January 1995 to April 2021. After applying the exclusion criteria, 71 articles were selected. Summary The diagnostics of ovarian borderline tumours poses numerous difficulties and treatment methods require extensive knowledge and cooperation of various groups of specialists. Management is based on the current clinical condition of the pregnant woman, available treatment methods, gestational age, history of chronic diseases and hereditary disorders. Therapy should be selected on a case-by-case basis

Fullerenes have been long investigated for application as singlet oxygen sources. Even though they possess high photosensitizing efficiency, their practical use is still limited, mostly because of insufficient absorption of visible and/or near-infrared light. This limitation can be overcome by introducing organic chromophores that absorb longer-wavelength light, either by covalent attachment to C60 or by its encapsulation in a polymeric matrix. In this work, we investigated the photosensitizing properties of the C60 molecule functionalized with organic units comprising thiophene or selenophene rings. The chemical structures of the synthesized dyads were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The influence of the S/Se atoms and vinyl linkage between the organic unit and C60 on the absorptive and emissive properties of the dyads was investigated and correlated with their photosensitizing activity. For the latter, we used a standard chemical singlet oxygen trap. A selected dyad C60ThSe2 was also applied as a source of singlet oxygen in a model photocatalyzed synthesis of the fine chemical juglone from 1,5-dihydroxynapthalene.

Dung beetles are considered a key element in ecosystems as they are involved in many ecological processes, being one of the main decomposers of organic matter in the landscape. They can be classified into 3 subfamilies: Aphodiinae, Geotrupinae and Scarabaeinae, with each subfamily exhibiting specific adaptations and evolutionary strategies that have developed over time. The global patterns of dung beetle diversity are influenced by ecological factors, such as climatic (temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure) and time‐related variables. Thus, the aim of the study is to see how these variables affect a dung beetle community and whether there are different responses among the subfamilies. The study was carried out in Mataelpino, a town located in Central Spain (Madrid, Spain). Monthly sampling was conducted from May 2018 to February 2020. According to the results the variables considered exert an effect on dung beetles, with differences observed among the subfamilies. To our knowledge, atmospheric pressure has been considered for the first time in a study of this type, with a greater effect being observed in the Aphodiinae subfamily than in the rest of the dung beetle groups. Regarding the other subfamilies, it has been observed that temperature is a determining factor for Scarabaeinae species, whereas humidity seems to have a greater effect on Geotrupinae species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components often occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Both conditions, RA and MetS, share pro-inflammatory pathogenic mechanisms. The occurrence of MetS in patients with RA seems to be associated with higher disease activity and suboptimal response to treatment. In this review, we have presented the pathogenesis of MetS and its associations with metabolic disorders in RA. Screening for and managing MetS is necessary to reduce cardiovascular risk and improve prognosis in patients with RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a formation of hybrid coatings on a Ti–2Ta–3Zr–36Nb surface. This is accomplished by plasma electrolytic oxidation and a dip-coating technique with poly(adipic anhydride) ((C6H8O3)n) that is loaded with drugs: amoxicillin (C16H19N3O5S), cefazolin (C14H14N8O4S3) or vancomycin (C66H75Cl2N9O24 · xHCl). The characteristic microstructure of the polymer was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Depending on the surface treatment, the surface roughness varied (between 1.53 μm and 2.06 μm), and the wettability was change with the over of time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the oxide layer did not affect the polymer layer or loaded drugs. However, the drugs lose their stability in a phosphate-buffered saline solution after 6.5 h of exposure, and its decrease was greater than 7% (HPLC analysis). The stability, drug release and concentration of the drug loaded into the material were precisely analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results correlated with the degradation of the polymer in which the addition of drugs caused the percent of degraded polymer to be between 35.5% and 49.4% after 1 h of material immersion, depending on the mass of the loaded drug and various biological responses that were obtained. However, all of the coatings were cytocompatible with MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. The drug concentrations released from the coatings were sufficient to inhibit adhesion of reference and clinical bacterial strains (S. aureus). The coatings with amoxicillin showed the best results in the bacterial inhibition zone, whereas coatings with cefazolin inhibited adhesion of the above bacteria on the surface.