In silico and expression analyses of fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins reveal functional conservation during embryo and seed development

Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs) are a subclass of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), which contain fasciclin-like domains in addition to typical AGP domains. FLAs are present across all embryophytes, and despite their low overall sequence similarity, conserved regions that define the fasciclin functional domain (FAS) have been identified, suggesting that the cell adhesion property is also conserved. FLAs in Arabidopsis have been organized into four subgroups according to the number and distribution of functional domains. Recent studies associated FLAs with cell wall-related processes where domain organization seemed to be related to functional roles. In Arabidopsis, FLAs containing a single FAS domain were found to be important for the integrity and elasticity of the plant cell wall matrix, and FLAs with two FAS domains and two AGP domains were found to be involved in maintaining proper cell expansion under salt stress conditions. The main purpose of the present work was to elucidate the expression pattern of selected FLA genes during embryo and seed development using RT-qPCR. AtFLA8 and AtFLA10, two Arabidopsis genes that stood out in previous microarray studies of embryo development, were further examined using promoter-driven gene reporter analyses. We also studied the expression of cork oak FLA genes and found that their expression partially parallels the expression patterns of the putative AtFLA orthologs. We propose that the functional organization of FLAs is conserved and may be related to fundamental aspects of embryogenesis and seed development across angiosperms. Phylogenetic studies were performed, and we show that the same basic four-subgroup organization described for Arabidopsis FLA gene classification is valid for most Arabidopsis FLA orthologs of several plant species, namely poplar, corn and cork oak

The postoperative venous thromboembolism (TREVO) study – risk and case mortality by surgical specialty

Introdução e objetivos: O tromboembolismo venoso, cujo risco está aumentado no doente cirúrgico, é uma causa evitável de morbimortalidade. O objetivo primário deste estudo foi estimar o risco de tromboembolismo venoso sintomático pós‐operatório global e por especialidade cirúrgica, num hospital terciário. Secundariamente, foram analisadas a gravidade e mortalidade dos eventos tromboembólicos. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo retrospetivo para a identificação de casos de tromboembolismo venoso pós‐operatório intra‐hospitalar, codificados pela Classificação Internacional de Doenças – 9.ª revisão, pelos critérios da Joint Commission International. Foram incluídos episódios de internamento de doentes adultos, operados, no período 2008‐2012. Resultados: Em 67 635 episódios de internamento com cirurgia identificaram‐se 90 casos de tromboembolismo venoso pós‐operatório (mediana de idades: 59 anos), correspondendo a um risco de 1,33/1000 episódios (intervalo de confiança a 95% [IC95%], 1,1‐1,6/1000). A neurocirurgia apresentou maior risco (4,07/1000), seguida pela urologia e pela cirurgia geral p < 0,001. Houve 50 episódios de embolia pulmonar, dos quais 11 foram fatais. Dos 90 casos, 12,2% decorreram sob anestesia do neuro‐eixo e 55,1% em doentes em estado físico ASA III. Foi administrada dose profilática de anticoagulante injetável no pós‐operatório a, pelo menos, 37,7% dos doentes. O risco decresceu de 2008 até 2012. A mortalidade associada aos eventos de tromboembolismo venoso durante o internamento foi 21,1% (IC95%, 13,6‐30,4). Conclusões: O risco de tromboembolismo venoso sintomático pós‐operatório foi de 1,33/1000. A neurocirurgia apresentou maior risco. A mortalidade foi de 21,1%

Assessment of table olives' organoleptic defect intensities based on the potentiometric fingerprint recorded by an electronic tongue

Table olives are prone to the appearance of sensory defects that decrease their quality and in some cases result in olives unsuitable for consumption. The evaluation of the type and intensity of the sensory negative attributes of table olives is recommended by the International Olive Council, although not being legally required for commercialization. However, the accomplishment of this task requires the training and implementation of sensory panels according to strict directives, turning out in a time-consuming and expensive procedure that involves a degree of subjectivity. In this work, an electronic tongue is proposed as a taste sensor device for evaluating the intensity of sensory defects of table olives. The potentiometric signal profiles gathered allowed establishing multiple linear regression models, based on the most informative subsets of signals (from 24 to 29 recorded during the analysis of olive aqueous pastes and brine solutions) selected using a simulated annealing meta-heuristic algorithm. The models enabled the prediction of the median intensities (R2 ≥ 0.942 and RMSE ≤ 0.356, for leave-one-out or repeated K-fold cross-validation procedures) of butyric, musty, putrid, winey-vinegary, and zapateria negative sensations being, in general, the predicted intensities within the range of intensities perceived by the sensory panel. Indeed, based on the predicted mean intensities of the sensory defects, the electrochemical-chemometric approach developed could correctly classify 86.4% of the table olive samples according to their trade category based on a sensory panel evaluation and following the International Olive Council regulations (i.e., extra, 1st choice, 2nd choice, and olives that may not be sold as table olives). So, the satisfactory overall predictions achieved demonstrate that the electronic tongue could be a complementary tool for assessing table olive defects, reducing the effort of trained panelists and minimizing the risk of subjective evaluations.This work was financially supported by Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984—Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM, by Project UID/QUI/00616/2013 —CQ-VR, and UID/AGR/00690/ 2013—CIMO, all funded by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. Strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit is also acknowledged. Nuno Rodrigues thanks FCT, POPH-QREN, and FSE for the Ph.D. Grant (SFRH/BD/104038/2014).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Randomized Double-Blind Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Orlistat Versus Placebo in Obese Patients with Mild to Moderate Hypercholesterolemia

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a chronic disease and a serious health problem that leads to increased prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and gallbladder disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of orlistat for weight loss and improved lipid profile compared to placebo in obese patients with hypercholesterolemia, treated over a period of 6 months. METHODOLOGY: In a 6-month, multicenter (10 centers in Portugal), double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study, 166 patients, aged 18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) > or = 27 kg/m2, LDL cholesterol > 155 mg/dl, were randomized to a reduced calorie diet (600 kcal/day deficit) plus orlistat three times a day or placebo. Exclusion criteria included triglycerides > 400 mg/dl, severe cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, type 1 or 2 diabetes under pharmacological treatment, and gastrointestinal or pancreatic disease. RESULTS: The mean difference in weight from baseline was 5.9% (5.6 kg) in the orlistat group vs. 2.3% (2.2 kg) in the placebo group. In the orlistat group 49% of patients achieved 5-10% weight loss and 8.8% achieved > 10%. The orlistat group showed a significant reduction in total and LDL cholesterol, with similar changes for HDL in both treatment groups. The frequency of gastrointestinal adverse events was slightly higher in the orlistat group than in the placebo group, leading to discontinuation in 7 patients. CONCLUSION: Treatment with orlistat plus a reduced calorie diet for 6 months achieved significant reductions in weight, BMI and lipid parameters

Monovarietal extra-virgin olive oil classification: a fusion of human sensory attributes and an electronic tongue

Olive oil quality grading is traditionally assessed by human sensory evaluation of positive and negative attributes (olfactory, gustatory, and final olfactorygustatory sensations). However, it is not guaranteed that trained panelist can correctly classify monovarietal extra-virgin olive oils according to olive cultivar. In this work, the potential application of human (sensory panelists) and artificial (electronic tongue) sensory evaluation of olive oils was studied aiming to discriminate eight single-cultivar extra-virgin olive oils. Linear discriminant, partial least square discriminant, and sparse partial least square discriminant analyses were evaluated. The best predictive classification was obtained using linear discriminant analysis with simulated annealing selection algorithm. A low-level data fusion approach (18 electronic tongue signals and nine sensory attributes) enabled 100 % leave-one-out cross-validation correct classification, improving the discrimination capability of the individual use of sensor profiles or sensory attributes (70 and 57 % leave-one-out correct classifications, respectively). So, human sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis may be used as complementary tools allowing successful monovarietal olive oil discrimination.This work was co-financed by FCT/MEC and FEDER under Program PT2020 (Project UID/EQU/50020/2013); by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia under the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit; and by Project POCTEP through Project RED/AGROTEC-Experimentation network and transfer for development of agricultural and agro industrial sectors between Spain and Portugal

Territoriality and the organization of technology during the Last Glacial Maximum in southwestern Europe

Climate changes that occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) had significant consequences in human eco-dynamics across Europe. Among the most striking impacts are the demographic contraction of modern humans into southern refugia and the potential formation of a population bottleneck. In Iberia and southern France transformations also included the occurrence of significant technological changes, mostly marked by the emergence of a diverse set of bifacially-shaped stone projectiles. The rapid dissemination of bifacial technologies and the geographical circumscription of specific projectile morphologies within these regions have been regarded as evidence for: (1) the existence of a system of long-distance exchange and social alliance networks; (2) the organization of human groups into cultural facies with well-defined stylistic territorial boundaries. However, the degree and modes in which cultural transmission have occurred within these territories, and how it may have influenced other domains of the adaptive systems, remains largely unknown. Using southern Iberia as a case-study, this paper presents the first quantitative approach to the organization of lithic technology and its relationship to hunter-gatherers' territorial organization during the LGM. Similarities and dissimilarities in the presence of morphological and metric data describing lithic technologies are used as a proxy to explore modes and degrees of cultural transmission. Statistical results show that similarities in technological options are dependent on the chronology and geographical distance between sites and corroborate previous arguments for the organization of LGM settlement in Southern Iberia into discrete eco-cultural facies.STSM COST action (ref. COST-STSM-TD0902-10855); FCT, contract ref. DL 57/2016/CP1361/ CT0026. Work at Vale Boi is funded by the project ALG-01-0145-FEDER-27833 - PTDC/HAR-ARQ/27833/2017.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Acid Glycohydrolases in Rat Spermatocytes, Spermatids and Spermatozoa: Enzyme Activities, Biosynthesis and Immunolocalization

Mammalian sperm acrosome contains several glycohydrolases thought to aid in the dispersion and digestion of vestments surrounding the egg. In this study, we have used multiple approaches to examine the origin of acrosome-associated glycohdyrdolases. Mixed spermatogenic cells, prepared from rat testis, were separated by unit gravity sedimentation. The purified germ cells (spermatocytes [SP], round spermatids [RS], and elongated/condensed spermatids [E/CS]) contained several glycohydrolase activities. Metabolic labeling in the cell culture, immunoprecipitation, and autoradiographic approaches revealed that β-D-galactosidase was synthesized in SP and RS in 88/90 kDa forms which undergo processing in a cell-specific manner. Immunohistochemical approaches demonstrated that the enzyme was localized in Golgi membranes/vesicles, and lysosome-like structures in SP and RS, and forming/formed acrosome of E/CS