Enhanced Prognostication of Early Breast Cancer Outcomes Using Deep Learning on Merged Multistain and Multicolor-Depth Tumor Histopathology.

Accurate breast cancer prognosis helps clinicians in selecting optimal treatments, potentially improving patient survival. We tested whether combining deep learning with tumor histopathology images could reliably predict cancer spread. Advantages of this study include the use of deep learning, which often outperforms traditional methods, and the analysis of tumor histopathology images that offer higher resolution than MRI or CT.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene are associated with acute and late adverse effects of radiotherapy and fatigue in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: More than half of prostate cancer patients undergo radiation treatment which may be accompanied by acute or late side effects in genitourinary, GU, and/or gastrointestinal, GI tract, and radiotherapy-induced fatigue (RIF). The biological role of RNase L highlights its potential to be tested for association with the adverse effects of radiotherapy.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the associations among gene variants, acute, late GI/GU toxicity events, and RIF to evaluate their potential to be used as biomarkers for prediction of response to radiation treatment.

Scenting Ketones in the Defense Glands of Two Julids From the Caucasus (Arthropoda, Myriapoda, Diplopoda, Julida).

Millipedes have developed specialized chemical defenses against predators and parasites. Here we investigated the strong repellent odour emitted by two julids from the Caucasus, Syrioiulus continentalis (Attems, 1903) and Pachyiulus krivolutskyi Golovatch, 1977. By NMR and GC-MS, as well as compound synthesis, we identified the major compound in the secretions of both species as 4-ethylhex-1-en-3-one.

Serum HER2 as potential prognostic biomarker in primary breast cancer patients.

Tissue expressed human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is an established parameter of breast cancer, and it is determined in routine clinical practice by histology. This study aims to assess the prognostic value of serum HER2 protein quantified using ELISA in 66 primary breast cancer patients. The median follow-up period was 94 months.

New model compounds for the efficient colorimetric screening of medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) depolymerases reveal mechanism of activity.

Plastic pollution presents a significant environmental problem contributing to increased CO emissions and persistently accumulation in ecosystems. Biobased polymers, like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), offer a part of a solution with their biodegradability and reduced carbon footprint. However, effective end-of-life strategies, such as controlled enzymatic depolymerization, are crucial for sustainability, relying on efficient PHA depolymerases (PHAases).

Melatonin Mediates Cardiac Tissue Damage under Septic Conditions Induced by Lipopolysaccharide.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is known to induce oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to significant damage in cardiac tissues. This study investigates the protective effects of melatonin (MLT) against LPS-induced oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis in rat heart tissue. Rats were divided into four groups ( = 6 per group): control, melatonin-treated, LPS-treated, and LPS + melatonin-treated.

Functionalization of silk with actinomycins from s BV365 for biomedical applications.

Silk, traditionally acclaimed as the "queen of fiber," has been widely used thanks to its brilliant performance such as gentleness, smoothness and comfortableness. Owing to its mechanical characteristics and biocompatibility silk has a definitive role in biomedical applications, both as fibroin and fabric. In this work, the simultaneous dyeing and functionalization of silk fabric with pigments from BV365 were investigated.

The Possible Effects of Galectin-3 on Mechanisms of Renal and Hepatocellular Injury Induced by Intravascular Hemolysis.

Intravascular hemolysis is a central feature of congenital and acquired hemolytic anemias, complement disorders, infectious diseases, and toxemias. Massive and/or chronic hemolysis is followed by the induction of inflammation, very often with severe damage of organs, which enhances the morbidity and mortality of hemolytic diseases. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that modulates the functions of many immune cells, thus affecting inflammatory processes.

Bridging Histopathology and Radiomics Toward Prognosis of Metastasis in Early Breast Cancer.

Tumor histomorphology is crucial for the prognostication of breast cancer outcomes because it contains histological, cellular, and molecular tumor heterogeneity related to metastatic potential. To enhance breast cancer prognosis, we aimed to apply radiomics analysis-traditionally used in 3D scans-to 2D histopathology slides. This study tested radiomics analysis in a cohort of 92 breast tumor specimens for outcome prognosis, addressing -omics dimensionality by comparing models with moderate and high feature counts, using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator for feature selection and machine learning for prognostic modeling.

Late-stage diversification of bacterial natural products through biocatalysis.

Bacterial natural products (BNPs) are very important sources of leads for drug development and chemical novelty. The possibility to perform late-stage diversification of BNPs using biocatalysis is an attractive alternative route other than total chemical synthesis or metal complexation reactions. Although biocatalysis is gaining popularity as a green chemistry methodology, a vast majority of orphan sequenced genomic data related to metabolic pathways for BNP biosynthesis and its tailoring enzymes are underexplored.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -A, -C and VE-cadherin as potential biomarkers in early breast cancer patients.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -A and -C act as multifunctional molecules and growth factors, while VE-cadherin (cadherin 5, CDH5) is the endothelial junction protein.

Aim: To assess the relationship between intratumoral VEGF -A, -C and CDH5 levels and clinical outcome, in primary, early-stage, breast cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: The study included 69 node-negative (N0) breast cancer patients, all of whom had not received any prior hormonal or chemotherapeutic systemic therapy that would affect the course of disease.

Circulating cytokine dynamics as potential biomarker of response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in BRAFwt MM patients.

Background: The biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy and safety are still urgently needed. As cytokines are easily detected and monitored in circulation, they could be used as potential predictors of response and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) for ICIs therapy.

Methods: The levels of TGF-β, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 were measured in sera and plasma by ELISA method of 30 healthy controls (HC) and 32 BRAF wild type (wt) MM patients before and after every 12 weeks of Pembrolizumab, PD-1 inhibitor, until one year or disease progression (DP).

Synthesis, characterization, biomolecular interactions, molecular docking, and in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities of novel ruthenium(III) Schiff base complexes.

In order to discover new anticancer drugs, novel ruthenium(III) complexes [Ru(L)Cl(HO)], where L is tetradentate Schiff base bis(acetylacetone)ethylendiimine (acacen, 1), bis(benzoylacetone)ethylendiimine (bzacen, 2), (acetylacetone)(benzoylaceton)ethylendiimine (acacbzacen, 3), bis(acetylacetone)propylendiimine (acacpn, 4), bis(benzoylacetone)propylendiimine (bzacpn, 5) or (acetylacetone)(benzoylaceton)propylendiimine (acacbzacpn, 6), were synthesized. The complexes 1 - 6 were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductometry, and by various spectroscopic techniques, such as UV-Vis, IR, EPR, and ESI-MS. Based on in vitro DNA/BSA experiments, complexes 2 (bzacen) and 5 (bzacpn) with two aromatic rings showed the highest DNA/BSA-activity, suggesting that the presence of the aromatic ring on the tetradentate Schiff base ligand contributes to increased activity.

Docking Studies, Cytotoxicity Evaluation and Interactions of Binuclear Copper(II) Complexes with S-Isoalkyl Derivatives of Thiosalicylic Acid with Some Relevant Biomolecules.

The numerous side effects of platinum based chemotherapy has led to the design of new therapeutics with platinum replaced by another transition metal. Here, we investigated the interactions of previously reported copper(II) complexes containing S-isoalkyl derivatives, the salicylic acid with guanosine-5'-monophosphate and calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and their antitumor effects, in a colon carcinoma model. All three copper(II) complexes exhibited an affinity for binding to CT-DNA, but there was no indication of intercalation or the displacement of ethidium bromide.

Brackish Groundwaters Contain Plastic- and Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria.

The selected brackish groundwater occurrences in the geotectonic regions of Inner Dinarides of western Serbia (Obrenovačka Banja) and Serbian crystalline core (Lomnički Kiseljak and Velika Vrbnica) were sampled for isolation and identification of plastic- and lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, as well as for the assessment of their enzymatic potential. The examined occurrences belong to the cold and warm (subthermal), weakly alkaline, neutral, and weakly acidic groundwater, and their genetic types are HCO-Na + K and HCO-Ca, Mg. The most abundant genera identified by next-generation 16S sequencing of cultivated groundwater samples belong to Aeromonas and Exiguobacterium.

Enzymatic functionalization of liquid phase exfoliated graphene using horseradish peroxidase and laccase.

We present a novel approach for the enzymatic functionalization of graphene, utilizing horseradish peroxidase (HPO) and laccase (LC) from Trametes versicolor. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the covalent modification of non-homogeneous graphene with a low surface-to-volume ratio, both in solution and on solid support. Through thermogravimetry analysis, we estimate the degree of functionalization to be 11% with HPO and 4% with LC, attributed to the varying redox potentials of the enzymes.

The Role of IL-17 in the Pathogenesis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Elucidating the inflammatory mechanisms underlying formation and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is crucial for discovering new targeted therapeutics. The proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 has proven roles in tumor formation, growth, and metastasis. The presence of IL-17 is demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo models, and in OSCC patients, is mostly accompanied by enhanced proliferation and invasiveness of cancer cells.

The Pivotal Role of Galectin-3 in Viral Infection: A Multifaceted Player in Host-Pathogen Interactions.

Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a beta-galactoside-binding lectin, plays a pivotal role in various cellular processes, including immune responses, inflammation, and cancer progression. This comprehensive review aims to elucidate the multifaceted functions of Gal-3, starting with its crucial involvement in viral entry through facilitating viral attachment and catalyzing internalization. Furthermore, Gal-3 assumes significant roles in modulating immune responses, encompassing the activation and recruitment of immune cells, regulation of immune signaling pathways, and orchestration of cellular processes such as apoptosis and autophagy.

The evaluation of hazardous element content in the needles of the Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) that originated from anthropogenic activities in the vicinity of the native habitats.

The aim of this research was to quantify the content of hazardous elements in the needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) in the natural habitats that were accumulated from thermal power plants, mines, and metal processing industry. Fifteen natural populations of the Norway spruce were sampled from the mountain ranges in Southeastern Europe (Dinaric Alps and Balkan Mountains).

The Expression of IL-1β Correlates with the Expression of Galectin-3 in the Tissue at the Maternal-Fetal Interface during the Term and Preterm Labor.

The inflammatory processes that occur at the maternal−fetal interface are considered one of the factors that are responsible for preterm birth. The pro-inflammatory roles of the Gal-3-induced activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the consecutive production of IL-1β have been described in several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, but the role of this inflammatory axis in parturition has not been studied. The aim of this study was to analyze the protein expression of Gal-3, NLRP3, and IL-1β in the decidua, villi, and fetal membranes, and to analyze their mutual correlation and correlation with the clinical parameters of inflammation in preterm birth (PTB) and term birth (TB).

Presence of morphological integration and modularity of the forcipular apparatus in Lithobius melanops (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha: Lithobiidae).

The presence of morphological integration and modularity of the forcipular apparatus, despite its evolutionary significance, has not been analyzed in centipedes. This morphological structure has a crucial role in feeding and defense, thanks to its poisonous part (forcipules), which is important for catching the prey. The aims of our study were: i) to test the hypothesis of modularity of the forcipular apparatus in centipede Lithobius melanops; and ii) to investigate the influence of allometry on overall morphological integration in the aforementioned species using a geometric morphometric approach.

Can granulysin provide prognostic value in primary breast cancer?

Background: Granulysin (GNLY) is a cytolytic and proinflammatory molecule which also acts as an immune alarmin. The multifunctional nature of this molecule has made it challenging to define its full potential as a biomarker in breast cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic value of intratumoral GNLY in primary breast cancer patients and its association with established clinicopathological parameters.

The Pt(-pr-thiosal)2 and BCL1 Leukemia Lymphoma: Antitumor Activity In Vitro and In Vivo.

B cell malignancies are, despite the development of targeted therapy in a certain percentage of the patients still a chronic disease with relapses, requiring multiple lines of therapy. Regimens that include platinum-based drugs provide high response rates in different B cell lymphomas, high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and devastating complication of CLL, Richter's syndrome. The aim of this study was to explore the potential antitumor activity of previously synthetized platinum(IV) complex with alkyl derivatives of thyosalicilc acid, PtCl2(-pr-thiosal)2, toward murine BCL1 cells and to delineate possible mechanisms of action.

CAR T Cell Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Successes and Shortcomings.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy achieved remarkable success in B-cell leukemia and lymphoma which led to its incorporation in treatment protocols for these diseases. CAR T cell therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients showed less success compared to other malignant tumors. In this review, we discuss the published results regarding CAR T cell therapy of CLL, possible mechanisms of failures and expected developments.

The prognostic significance of serum interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in hormonally dependent breast cancer.

Background: Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic immunomodulatory cytokine. Because of its contradictory and even dualistic roles in malignancies, its potential as a biomarker remains to be unraveled.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic significance of serum IFN-γ in hormonally treated breast cancer patients.