Functional Characterization of Lysophosphatidylcholine: Acyl-CoA Acyltransferase Genes From Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT, EC 2.3.1.23) is an evolutionarily conserved key enzyme in the Lands cycle that catalyzes acylation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) to produce phosphatidylcholine (PC), the main phospholipid in cellular membranes. In this study, three LPCAT genes from sunflower were identified and the corresponding proteins characterized. These HaLPCAT genes encoded functionally active enzymes that were able to complement a deficient yeast mutant. Moreover, enzymatic assays were carried out using microsomal preparations of the yeast cells. When acyl specificities were measured in the forward reaction, these enzymes exhibited a substrate preference for unsaturated acyl-CoAs, especially for linolenoyl-CoA, while in the reverse reaction, linoleoyl or linolenoyl acyl groups were transferred from PC to acyl-CoA to a similar extent. Expression levels of LPCAT genes were studied revealing distinct tissue-specific expression patterns. In summary, this study suggests that the combined forward and reverse reactions catalyzed by sunflower LPCATs facilitate acyl-exchange between the sn-2 position of PC and the acyl-CoA pool. Sunflower LPCATs displayed different characteristics, which could point to different functionalities, favoring the enrichment of seed triacylglycerols (TAGs) with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)España, AEI and FEDER Project AGL2017- 83449-R. R

Goats as Valuable Animal Model to Test the Targeted Glutamate Supplementation upon Antral Follicle Number, Ovulation Rate, and LH-Pulsatility

The potential effect of intravenous administration of glutamate on the ovarian activity and the LH secretion pattern, considering the anestrous yearling goat as an animal model, were assessed. In late April, yearling goats (n = 20) were randomly assigned to either (1) Glutamate supplemented (GLUT; n = 10, Live Weight (LW) = 29.6 ± 1.02 kg, Body Condition (BCS) = 3.4 ± 0.2 units; i.v. supplemented with 7 mg GLUT kg−1 LW) or (2) Non-supplemented (CONT; n = 10; LW = 29.2 ± 1.07 kg, BCS = 3.5 ± 0.2 units; i.v. saline). The oats were estrus-synchronized; blood sampling (6 h × 15 min) was carried out for LH quantification. Response variables included pulsatility (PULSE), time to first pulse (TTFP), amplitude (AMPL), nadir (NAD), and area under the curve (AUC) of LH. Ovaries were ultra-sonographically scanned to assess ovulation rate (OR), number of antral follicles (AF), and total ovarian activity (TOA = OR + AF). LH-PULSE was quantified with the Munro algorithm; significant treatment x time interactions were evaluated across time. The variables LW and BCS did not differ (p > 0.05) between the experimental groups. Nevertheless, OR (1.77 vs. 0.87 ± 0.20 units), TOA (4.11 vs. 1.87 ± 0.47 units) and LH-PULSE (5.0 vs. 2.2 pulses 6 h-1) favored (p < 0.05) to the GLUT group. Our results reveal that targeted glutamate supplementation, the main central nervous system neurotransmitter, arose as an interesting strategy to enhance the hypothalamic–hypophyseal–ovarian response considering the anestrous-yearling goat as an animal model, with thought-provoking while promising translational applications

Sexual Relationships in Hispanic Countries: a Literature Review

This is a pre-print of an article published in Current Sexual Health Reports. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-020-00272-6Purpose of Review: Sexuality is a complex dimension for which culture seems to play an important role, particularly in countries that are more traditional. This review summarizes the knowledge about sexual relationships in Hispanic countries, considering sexual debut, attitudes, behaviors, and satisfaction. Recent Findings: In line with the literature reviewed, the sexual double standard seems to be continuing to influence sexual relationships. Some countries show more open expressions of sexuality based on the level of gender inequality or sexualized context, and within countries, variables such as religious commitment, family characteristics, and access to resources may play important roles in sexuality. Summary: Future research, policies, and interventions should consider these specific characteristics, including these forms of expression of sexuality, in the adjustment of cross-cultural and cross-national strategies

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to &lt;90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], &gt;300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of &lt;15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P&lt;0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P&lt;0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure &lt; 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt; 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Data from: Assessing among-lineage variability in phylogenetic imputation of functional trait datasets

Phylogenetic imputation has recently emerged as a potentially powerful tool for predicting missing data in functional traits datasets. As such, understanding the limitations of phylogenetic modelling in predicting trait values is critical if we are to use them in subsequent analyses. Previous studies have focused on the relationship between phylogenetic signal and clade-level prediction accuracy, yet variability in prediction accuracy among individual tips of phylogenies remains largely unexplored. Here, we used simulations of trait evolution along the branches of phylogenetic trees to show how the accuracy of phylogenetic imputations is influenced by the combined effects of (1) the amount of phylogenetic signal in the traits and (2) the branch length of the tips to be imputed. Specifically, we conducted cross-validation trials to estimate the variability in prediction accuracy among individual tips on the phylogenies (hereafter “tip-level accuracy”). We found that under a Brownian motion model of evolution (BM, Pagel's λ = 1), tip-level accuracy rapidly decreased with increasing tip branch-lengths, and only tips of approximately 10% or less of the total height of the trees showed consistently accurate predictions (i.e. cross-validation R-squared > 0.75). When phylogenetic signal was weak, the effect of tip branch-length was reduced, becoming negligible for traits simulated with λ < 0.7, where accuracy was in any case low. Our study shows that variability in prediction accuracy among individual tips of the phylogeny should be considered when evaluating the reliability of phylogenetically imputed trait values. To address this challenge, we describe a Monte Carlo-based method that allows one to estimate the expected tip-level accuracy of phylogenetic predictions for continuous traits. Our approach identifies gaps in functional trait datasets for which phylogenetic imputation performs poorly, and will help ecologists to design more efficient trait collection campaigns by focusing resources on lineages whose trait values are more uncertain

Heat Stress Characterization in a Dairy Cattle Intensive Production Cluster under Arid Land Conditions: An Annual, Seasonal, Daily, and Minute-To-Minute, Big Data Approach

This study characterized the environmental&ndash;climatic trends occurring in the largest dairy cattle intensive production cluster under arid land conditions in northern Mexico. The study was based on the Temperature Humidity Index (THI); it aimed to identify the number of days with THI values &ge;68 as a bio-marker of heat stress (HS) and evaluate the possible HS effect upon the milk production of dairy cows. Climate data were obtained every 10 min in five farms across years (i.e., 2015&ndash;2020). THI was divided into four HS subclasses, 68&ndash;71, 72&ndash;76, 77&ndash;79, and &ge;80, according to the circadian HS occurrence (i.e., 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 h), and analyzed across seasons&ndash;years. Thus, a total of 1,475,319 THI across different time-scale subclasses was analyzed. The observed results supported our working hypothesis in that yearling-average periods with more than 300 d, HS was confirmed. A yearly average of 31.2 d with THI &ge; 80 with similar (p &gt; 0.05) trends across dairy farms and a slight annual variation (p &lt; 0.05) were also witnessed. Moreover, the highest days with THI levels &ge;68 occurred in summer and autumn (p &lt; 0.05), while the in the subclasses 68&ndash;71, 72&ndash;76, and 77&ndash;79, THI occurred in any hour-scale subclass (i.e., 1, 4, 8, and 12 h). Furthermore, a trend to observe THI-HS increases either among years or within an hour-scale basis were also observed. On average, HS engendered a reduction of up to 11.8% in milk production. These research outcomes highlight the need to identify and quantify the negative impacts that HS may generate at a productive and reproductive level in order to delineate mitigation strategies that may lessen the environmental impact upon the dairy cattle industry

Heat Stress Characterization in a Dairy Cattle Intensive Production Cluster under Arid Land Conditions: An Annual, Seasonal, Daily, and Minute-To-Minute, Big Data Approach

This study characterized the environmental–climatic trends occurring in the largest dairy cattle intensive production cluster under arid land conditions in northern Mexico. The study was based on the Temperature Humidity Index (THI); it aimed to identify the number of days with THI values ≥68 as a bio-marker of heat stress (HS) and evaluate the possible HS effect upon the milk production of dairy cows. Climate data were obtained every 10 min in five farms across years (i.e., 2015–2020). THI was divided into four HS subclasses, 68–71, 72–76, 77–79, and ≥80, according to the circadian HS occurrence (i.e., 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 h), and analyzed across seasons–years. Thus, a total of 1,475,319 THI across different time-scale subclasses was analyzed. The observed results supported our working hypothesis in that yearling-average periods with more than 300 d, HS was confirmed. A yearly average of 31.2 d with THI ≥ 80 with similar (p > 0.05) trends across dairy farms and a slight annual variation (p p < 0.05), while the in the subclasses 68–71, 72–76, and 77–79, THI occurred in any hour-scale subclass (i.e., 1, 4, 8, and 12 h). Furthermore, a trend to observe THI-HS increases either among years or within an hour-scale basis were also observed. On average, HS engendered a reduction of up to 11.8% in milk production. These research outcomes highlight the need to identify and quantify the negative impacts that HS may generate at a productive and reproductive level in order to delineate mitigation strategies that may lessen the environmental impact upon the dairy cattle industry

Phylogeny used for the empirical analysis

Species-level time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of DNA including the 69 European and North American tree species used in the empirical analysis of the study (subset of a higher-rank phylogeny including 889 European and North American tree species, see Appendix 2 in Supplementary Material