Psychometric Performance of the Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale and SCAR-Q Questionnaire in Dutch Children after Pediatric Surgery.

The growing population of survivors following pediatric surgery emphasizes the importance of long-term follow-up. The impact of surgical scars on daily life can be evaluated through patient-reported outcome measurements. The Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale (SBSES) and SCAR-Q questionnaire are two interesting instruments for this purpose.

Development of C1q Affinity Chromatography for the Study of C1q-IgG Interactions.

The classical complement system represents a central effector mechanism of Abs initiated by the binding of C1q to target bound IgG. Human C1q contains six heterotrimeric globular head groups that mediate IgG interaction, resulting in an avidity-driven binding event involving multiple IgG molecules binding a single C1q. Accordingly, surface bound IgG molecules are thought to assemble into noncovalent hexameric rings for optimal binding to the six-headed C1q.

Life cycle thinking and safe-and-sustainable-by-design approaches for the battery innovation landscape.

Developments in battery technology are essential for the energy transition and need to follow the framework for safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) materials, chemicals, products, and processes as set by the EU. SSbD is a broad approach that ensures that chemicals/advanced materials/products/services are produced and used in a way to avoid harm to humans and the environment. Technical and policy-related literature was surveyed for battery technologies and recommendations were provided for a broad SSbD approach that remains firmly grounded in Life Cycle Thinking principles.

Annexin A6 and Late Endosomal Cholesterol Modulate Integrin Recycling and Cell Migration.

Annexins are a family of proteins that bind to phospholipids in a calcium-dependent manner. Earlier studies implicated annexin A6 (AnxA6) to inhibit secretion and participate in the organization of the extracellular matrix. We recently showed that elevated AnxA6 levels significantly reduced secretion of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin (FN).

Invasive crayfish threaten the development of submerged macrophytes in lake restoration.

Submerged macrophytes enhance water transparency and aquatic biodiversity in shallow water ecosystems. Therefore, the return of submerged macrophytes is the target of many lake restoration projects. However, at present, north-western European aquatic ecosystems are increasingly invaded by omnivorous exotic crayfish.

The progressive loss of syntactical structure in bird song along an island colonization chain.

Cultural transmission can increase the flexibility of behavior, such as bird song. Nevertheless, this flexibility often appears to be constrained, sometimes by preferences for learning certain traits over others, a phenomenon known as "biased" learning or transmission. The sequential colonization of the Atlantic Islands by the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) provides a unique model system in which to investigate how the variability of a cultural trait has evolved.

Disruption of the annexin A1/S100A11 complex increases the migration and clonogenic growth by dysregulating epithelial growth factor (EGF) signaling.

Endocytosis of activated growth factor receptors regulates spatio-temporal cellular signaling. In the case of the EGF receptor, sorting into multivesicular bodies (MVBs) controls signal termination and subsequently leads to receptor degradation in lysosomes. Annexin A1, a Ca(2+)-regulated membrane binding protein often deregulated in human cancers, interacts with the EGF receptor and is phosphorylated by internalized EGF receptor on endosomes.

Annexin A6 is a scaffold for PKCα to promote EGFR inactivation.

Protein kinase Cα (PKCα) can phosphorylate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) at threonine 654 (T654) to inhibit EGFR tyrosine phosphorylation (pY-EGFR) and the associated activation of downstream effectors. However, upregulation of PKCα in a large variety of cancers is not associated with EGFR inactivation, and factors determining the potential of PKCα to downregulate EGFR are yet unknown. Here, we show that ectopic expression of annexin A6 (AnxA6), a member of the Ca(2+) and phospholipid-binding annexins, strongly reduces pY-EGFR levels while augmenting EGFR T654 phosphorylation in EGFR overexpressing A431, head and neck and breast cancer cell lines.

Differential Regulation of RasGAPs in Cancer.

Ever since their discovery as cellular counterparts of viral oncogenes more than 25 years ago, much progress has been made in understanding the complex networks of signal transduction pathways activated by oncogenic Ras mutations in human cancers. The activity of Ras is regulated by nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase activating proteins (GAPs), and much emphasis has been put into the biochemical and structural analysis of the Ras/GAP complex. The mechanisms by which GAPs catalyze Ras-GTP hydrolysis have been clarified and revealed that oncogenic Ras mutations confer resistance to GAPs and remain constitutively active.

Annexin A6-Linking Ca(2+) signaling with cholesterol transport.

Annexin A6 (AnxA6) belongs to a conserved family of Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding proteins. Like other annexins, the function of AnxA6 is linked to its ability to bind phospholipids in cellular membranes in a dynamic and reversible fashion, in particular during the regulation of endocytic and exocytic pathways. High amounts of AnxA6 sequester cholesterol in late endosomes, thereby lowering the levels of cholesterol in the Golgi and the plasma membrane.

Annexin A6-regulator of the EGFR/Ras signalling pathway and cholesterol homeostasis.

Annexin A6 (AnxA6) belongs to the highly conserved annexin protein family. Like other annexins, the function of AnxA6 is linked to its ability to bind phospholipids in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, thereby interacting with cellular membranes in a dynamic, reversible and regulated fashion. Upon cell activation, AnxA6 is recruited to the plasma membrane, endosomes and caveolae/membrane rafts to interact with signalling proteins, the endocytic machinery and actin cytoskeleton to inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor and Ras signalling.

Cytotoxic diterpenoids from two lianas from the Suriname rainforest.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the MeOH and EtOAc fractions of extracts of two lianas collected in Suriname has led to the isolation of five new diterpenoids, humirianthone 1, 1-hydroxy-humirianthone 2, 15R-humirianthol 3, patagonol 4, and patagonal 5, and the five known diterpenoids, humirianthol 7, annonalide 8, acrenol 9, icacinol 10, and the oxidized annonalide 11. All 10 diterpenoids showed cytotoxic activity against the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line, and compounds 1, 3, 8, and 9 also showed activity against phytopathogenic fungi.