Unique Beneficial Effects Research Articles

A novel controlled metabolic accelerator for the treatment of obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Rationale and design of the Phase 2a HuMAIN trial.

Compared with those without obesity, patients with obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) have worse symptoms, haemodynamics, and outcomes. Current weight loss strategies (diet, drug, and surgical) work through decreased energy intake rather than increased expenditure and cause significant loss of skeletal muscle mass in addition to adipose tissue. This may have adverse implications for patients with HFpEF, who already have reduced skeletal muscle mass and function and high rates of physical frailty. Mitochondrial uncoupling agents may have unique beneficial effects by producing weight loss via increased catabolism rather than reduced caloric intake, thereby causing loss of adipose tissue while sparing skeletal muscle. HU6 is a controlled metabolic accelerator that is metabolized to the mitochondrial uncoupling agent 2,4-dinotrophenol. HU6 selectively increases carbon oxidation from fat and glucose while also decreasing toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In addition to sparing skeletal muscle loss, HU6 may have other benefits relevant to obesity-related HFpEF, including reduced specific tissue depots contributing to HFpEF; improved glucose utilization; and reduction in systemic inflammation via both decreased ROS production from mitochondria and decreased cytokine elaboration from excess, dysfunctional adipose. We describe the rationale and design of HuMAIN-HFpEF, a Phase 2a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-titration, parallel-group trial in patients with obesity-related HFpEF to evaluate the effects of HU6 on weight loss, body composition, exercise capacity, cardiac structure and function, metabolism, and inflammation, and identify optimal dosage for future Phase 3 trials. HuMAIN will test a promising novel agent for obesity-related HFpEF.

Language and Cultural Identity: Cross-Cultural Communications Among the Vernacular Communities in the West Kalimantan-Sarawak Border Region in Indonesia

In border areas, multi-ethnic communities may experience both positive and negative impacts of being in a border area. On the one hand, being in a border area has a unique beneficial effect since traveling overseas is now easy and affordable. People move across the borders. However, on the other hand, there can be negative impacts because they are prone to conflicts due to several factors, such as differences in language, culture, social aspects, politics as well as economic differences. In this context, the language identity of multiethnic communities in the Kalimantan-Sarawak border area in Indonesia can be seen in the language situation and the factors that influence it. This research examines this issue. The study uses a qualitative method. Data collection employs surveys, observations, interviews and focus group discussions. As techniques. The findings demonstrate that: multi-ethnic communities in border areas are often bilingual. They have the abilities to speak languages other than their own ethnic language; they also exhibit flexibility in cross-language interactions; and the linguistic situation in border areas, particularly regional languages is preserved in families, homogeneous environments, traditional ceremonies, and religious activities. A linguistic identity is characterized by a strong sense of ethnicity: ethnic culture, regional geography, social groups, family and surroundings, regional history, education, as well as economic activities. These are aspects that influence the linguistic identity of the multiethnic population in the West Kalimantan-Sarawak border region in Indonesia.

Effects of natural zeolite on mechanical properties and durability indexes of concrete

This study evaluated the effects of a locally available natural zeolite (NZ), on properties of concrete. To the best knowledge of the authors, this paper is the first study wherein NZ concrete has been evaluated using durability index methods. The NZ studied is presently not used as pozzolan in the local cement industry, hence its potential use in concrete would be new. In the investigation, concrete mixtures of 0.50 and 0.70 water/cementitious ratios were prepared using CEM I 52.5R cement type blended with 0, 10, 20 and 30% NZ. Performance characteristics of NZ were compared with those of 20% or 30% fly ash (FA), which is a conventional pozzolan. The mechanical properties measured were strength development, workability and setting time. Durability properties including carbonation and a consortium of indexes comprising oxygen permeability index, water sorptivity index and chloride conductivity index were also tested. Interestingly, NZ concretes exhibited good or excellent durability index values and lower carbonation results, relative to those of the corresponding FA concretes. In fact, adding 20% NZ into concrete mixtures gave optimal performance, including significant reduction of carbonation, which is a unique beneficial effect as pozzolans typically increase carbonation.

Sodium Glucose Transporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT2Is)-TLRs Axis Modulates Diabetes.

Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and is mainly associated with impaired insulin function. To date, various oral anti-diabetic drugs have been developed, of which, the sodium glucose transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) are of the most recent classes that have been introduced. They differ from other classes in terms of their novel mechanism of actions and unique beneficial effects rather than just lowering glucose levels. SGLT2Is can protect body against cardiovascular events and kidney diseases even in non-diabetic individuals. SGLT2Is participate in immune cell activation, oxidative stress reduction, and inflammation mediation, thereby, moderating diabetic complications. In addition, toll like receptors (TLRs) are the intermediators of the immune system and inflammatory process, thus it's believed to play crucial roles in diabetic complications, particularly the ones that are related to inflammatory reactions. SGLT2Is are also effective against diabetic complications via their anti-inflammatory and oxidative properties. Given the anti-inflammatory properties of TLRs and SGLT2Is, this review investigates how SGLT2Is can affect the TLR pathway, and whether this could be favorable toward diabetes.

864-P: Effects on Glycemic Control by Combination Therapy of Gliclazide-Metformin and Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Background: Diabetes mellitus is most common non-communicable diseases. Purpose of this study was to observe the effects on glycemic control by combination therapy of gliclazide-metformin and insulin in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients according to baseline HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and blood glucose 2 hours after breakfast. Methods: An observational study was conducted at Endocrinology Outpatient Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka and Outpatient Department of Ibrahim General Hospital, Mirpur, Dhaka over a period of one year (July 2018 to June 2019). Total 110 type 2 diabetic patients were selected purposively. The patients were divided into two groups. In group I, 55 patients treated with gliclazide (80mg) and metformin (500mg) combination therapy twice daily for consecutive 12 weeks and in group II, 55 patients treated with Insulin (premixed 30/70) twice daily for consecutive 12 weeks. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment HbA1c level reduced from (mean ± SD) 8.94 ± 0.91 to 7.82 ± 1.86 in group I and 10.07 ± 1.28 to 7.90 ± 1.01in group II. FBG level reduced from 10.05 ± 1.57 to 7.96 ± 1.62 in group I and 11.61 ± 2.62 to 7.60 ± 1.23 in group II. Blood glucose 2 hours ABF level reduced from 14.00 ± 2.04 to10.99 ± 1.41 in group I and 16.70 ± 3.61to 10.71 ± 1.52 in group II. In group I, 36.4% patients achieved HbA1c target level, 40% patients achieved FBG target level and 25.5% patients achieved blood glucose 2 hrs ABF target level. In group II, 29.1% patients achieved HbA1c target level, 56.4% patients achieved FBG target level and 29.1% patients achieved blood glucose 2 hrs ABF target level Conclusion: This study showed improvement in the overall glycemic control (HbA1c, FBG and blood sugar 2hours ABF) during the study period. Both groups of drugs are effective in controlling blood glucose but individual group has unique beneficial effect. Key words: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Glycemic control, Glicazide-Metformin Disclosure M.Saifuddin: None.

Biosynthesis of Human Milk Oligosaccharides: Enzyme Cascade and Metabolic Engineering Approaches

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have unique beneficial effects for infants and are considered as the new gold standard for premium infant formula. They are a collection of unconjugated glycans, and more than 200 distinct structures have been identified. Generally, HMOs are enzymatically produced by elongation and/or modification from lactose via stepwise glycosylation. Each glycosylation requires a specific glycosyltransferase (GT) and the corresponding nucleotide sugar donor. In this review, the typical HMO-producing GTs and the one-pot multienzyme modules for generating various nucleotide sugar donors are introduced, the principles for designing the enzyme cascade routes for HMO synthesis are described, and the important metabolic engineering strategies for mass production of HMOs are also reviewed. In addition, the future research directions in biotechnological production of HMOs were prospected.

Review on Extraction, Modification, and Synthesis of Natural Peptides and Their Beneficial Effects on Skin.

Peptides, functional nutrients with a size between those of large proteins and small amino acids, are easily absorbed by the human body. Therefore, they are seeing increasing use in clinical medicine and have revealed immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties which could make them effective in healing skin wounds. This review sorted and summarized the relevant literature about peptides during the past decade. Recent works on the extraction, modification and synthesis of peptides were reviewed. Importantly, the unique beneficial effects of peptides on the skin were extensively explored, providing ideas for the development and innovation of peptides and laying a knowledge foundation for the clinical application of peptides.

Effects on Glycemic Control by Combination Therapy of Gliclazide-Metformin and Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases worldwide, which requires management of the symptoms through lifestyle modification and antidiabetic pharmacotherapies. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects on glycemic control by combination therapy of gliclazide-metformin and insulin in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients according to baseline HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and blood glucose 2 h after breakfast. Methods: An observational study was conducted at Endocrinology Outpatient Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, and Outpatient Department of Ibrahim General Hospital, Mirpur, Dhaka, for 1 year (July 2018–June 2019). In total, 110 type 2 diabetic patients were selected purposively. The patients were divided into two groups. In Group I, 55 patients treated with gliclazide (80 mg) and metformin (500 mg) combination therapy twice daily for consecutive 12 weeks, and in Group II, 55 patients treated with insulin (premixed 30/70) twice daily for consecutive 12 weeks. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, HbA1c level reduced from (mean ± standard deviation) 8.94 ± 0.91 to 7.82 ± 1.86 in Group I and 10.07 ± 1.28 to 7.90 ± 1.01 in Group II. FBG level reduced from 10.05 ± 1.57 to 7.96 ± 1.62 in Group I and 11.61 ± 2.62 to 7.60 ± 1.23 in Group II. Blood glucose 2 h ABF level reduced from 14.00 ± 2.04 to 10.99 ± 1.41 in Group I and 16.70 ± 3.61 to 10.71 ± 1.52 in Group II. In Group I, 36.4% of patients achieved HbA1c target level, 40% of patients achieved FBG target level, and 25.5% of patients achieved blood glucose 2 h ABF target level. In Group II, 29.1% of patients achieved HbA1c target level, 56.4% of patients achieved FBG target level, and 29.1% of patients achieved blood glucose 2 h ABF target level. Conclusions: On the basis of the study findings, patients of both study groups showed an improvement in the overall glycemic control (HbA1c, FBG, and blood sugar 2 h ABF) during the study. Both groups of drugs are effective in controlling blood glucose, but individual group has a unique beneficial effect.

Recent Advances on Lacto-N-neotetraose, a Commercially Added Human Milk Oligosaccharide in Infant Formula.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) act as the important prebiotics and display many unique health effects for infants. Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), an abundant HMO, attracts increasing attention because of its unique beneficial effects to infants and great commercial importance. It occurs in all groups of human milk, but the concentration generally decreases gradually with the lactation period. It has superior prebiotic property for infants, and its other health effects have also been verified, including being immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, preventing necrotizing enterocolitis, antiadhesive antimicrobials, antiviral activity, and promoting maturation of intestinal epithelial cells. Safety evaluation and clinical trial studies suggest that LNnT is safe and well-tolerant for infants. It has been commercially added as a functional ingredient in infant formula. LNnT can be synthesized via chemical, enzymatic, or cell factory approachs, among which the metabolic engineering-based cell factory synthesis is considered to be the most practical and effective. In this article, the occurrence and physiological effects of LNnT were reviewed in detail, the safety evaluation and regulation status of LNnT were described, various approaches to LNnT synthesis were comprehensively summarized and compared, and the future perspectives of LNnT-related studies were provided.

Nebivolol and incident cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients compared with nonvasodilatory beta blockers.

Nonvasodilatory beta blockers are associated with inferior cardiovascular event reduction compared with other antihypertensive classes, and there is uncertainty about first-line use of beta blockers for hypertension in guidelines. The third generation vasodilatory beta blocker nebivolol has unique beneficial effects on central and peripheral vasculature. Our objective was to compare longitudinal cardiovascular outcomes of hypertensive patients taking nebivolol with those taking the nonvasodilatory beta blockers metoprolol and atenolol. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of hypertensive adults in the University of Colorado health system, without preceding diagnosis of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. The primary outcome was composite incident heart failure, stroke, myocardial infarction, angina, or coronary revascularization. Mahalanobis 1:2 distance matching and Cox proportional hazards regression was used. Matching and regression variables included baseline demographics, socioeconomic factors, medical insurance type, prescribing provider type, cardiovascular risk factors, Charlson comorbidity index, other medications, and follow-up duration. After matching, patients were predominantly women (54%, 3085 of 5705) and non-Hispanic Caucasian (79%, 4534 of 5705), with median age of 58. In matched Cox regression analysis, nebivolol was associated with 17% reduction in incident cardiovascular events compared with all nonvasodilatory beta blockers [hazard ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74-0.94, P = 0.004], and 24% reduction compared with metoprolol (hazard ratio 0.76, CI 0.66-0.87, P = 0.0001). The vasodilatory beta blocker nebivolol was associated with reduced incident cardiovascular events compared with nonvasodilatory beta blockers. Additional study of other beta blockers is necessary to determine if this is a vasodilatory beta blocker class effect or is specific to nebivolol.

Correlation Between Changes in the Serum Magnesium Concentration and Visceral Fat Volume in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Luseogliflozin: A Sub-Analysis of Data From the LIGHT Study

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have been reported to more effectively suppress cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The underlying mechanism, however, remains unknown. SGLT-2 inhibitors have the unique beneficial effect of ameliorating hypomagnesemia, which is a well-known independent risk factor for CVE. However, the mechanism by which SGLT-2 inhibitors increase the serum magnesium (Mg) levels also remains unknown. We hypothesized that SGLT-2 inhibitor-induced visceral fat loss might also be correlated with the serum Mg levels. Methods: We conducted a sub-analysis of the data of 31 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with luseogliflozin in the LIGHT study. The correlations between changes in the serum Mg concentration (Delta Mg) and the baseline patient characteristics/changes in the values of clinical parameters at 24 weeks were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Results: The Delta Mg was significantly associated with the baseline serum Mg concentration (beta = -0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.84 - -0.13; P = 0.01) and Delta visceral fat volume (VFV) (beta = -0.33, -0.59 - -0.09; P = 0.03). Conclusions: We found that elevation of serum Mg concentrations after SGLT-2 inhibitor treatment was associated with two factors; low serum Mg concentrations before the start of treatment and decrease in the VFV after treatment. J Endocrinol Metab. 2021;11(2):35-41 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem738

Potential effects of incretin-based therapies on polycystic ovary syndrome in rats: a comparative study of linagliptin versus liraglutide

Low glucagon like peptide1 (GLP-1) level may contribute to the metabolic dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this study, prospective therapeutic effects of incretin-based drugs; linagliptin versus liraglutide were investigated on letrozole induced PCOS rats. Animals were divided into five groups (control, PCOS, linagliptin, liraglutide and combined). Letrozole was administered for seven weeks (1mg/kg/day,orally). Linagliptin (3mg/kg/day,orally), liraglutide (1.2mg/kg/day,sc) and combined drugs were given for 4 weeks. Measurements of anthropometric, hemodynamics, blood glucose indices, HOMA-IR, serum lipids, TNF-α, NF-kB, and sex hormones were estimated. Antioxidant activities alongside immunohistochemical (PCNA) studies were assessed. The present results proved that both drugs significantly ameliorated most of anthropometric, glycemic, lipid, hormonal, inflammatory and antioxidant indices. Obvious histological improvement was obtained by linagliptin and combined therapy while being questionable by liraglutide . In conclusion, linagliptin caused evident ovarian histological advance rather than liraglutide. Linagliptin may represent a promise in alleviating metabolic, hormonal and unique beneficial histologic effects of PCOS.

Correlation Between Changes in the Serum Magnesium Concentration and Visceral Fat Volume in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Luseogliflozin: A Sub-Analysis of Data From the LIGHT Study

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors have been reported to more effectively suppress cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes. The underlying mechanism, however, remains unknown. SGLT-2 inhibitors have the unique beneficial effect of ameliorating hypomagnesemia, which is a well-known independent risk factor for CVE. However, the mechanism by which SGLT-2 inhibitors increase the serum magnesium (Mg) levels also remains unknown. We hypothesized that SGLT-2 inhibitor-induced visceral fat loss might also be correlated with the serum Mg levels. Methods: We conducted a sub-analysis of the data of 31 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with luseogliflozin in the LIGHT study. The correlations between changes in the serum Mg concentration (Delta Mg) and the baseline patient characteristics/changes in the values of clinical parameters at 24 weeks were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Results: The Delta Mg was significantly associated with the baseline serum Mg concentration (beta = -0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.84 - -0.13; P = 0.01) and Delta visceral fat volume (VFV) (beta = -0.33, -0.59 - -0.09; P = 0.03). Conclusions: We found that elevation of serum Mg concentrations after SGLT-2 inhibitor treatment was associated with two factors; low serum Mg concentrations before the start of treatment and decrease in the VFV after treatment. J Endocrinol Metab. 2021;11(2):35-41 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem738

Exploring the Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential of Withaferin A and Its Derivatives.

Withaferin A (WA), a manifold studied, C28-steroidal lactone withanolide found in Withania somnifera. Given its unique beneficial effects, it has gathered attention in the era of modern science. Cancer, being considered a “hopeless case and the leading cause of death worldwide, and the available conventional therapies have many lacunae in the form of side effects. The poly pharmaceutical natural compound, WA treatment, displayed attenuation of various cancer hallmarks by altering oxidative stress, promoting apoptosis, and autophagy, inhibiting cell proliferation, reducing angiogenesis, and metastasis progression. The cellular proteins associated with antitumor pathways were also discussed. WA structural modifications attack multiple signal transduction pathways and enhance the therapeutic outcomes in various diseases. Moreover, it has shown validated pharmacological effects against multiple neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting acetylcholesterinases and butyrylcholinesterases enzyme activity, antidiabetic activity by upregulating adiponectin and preventing the phosphorylation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARγ), cardioprotective activity by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and suppressing mitochondrial apoptosis. The current review is an extensive survey of various WA associated disease targets, its pharmacokinetics, synergistic combination, modifications, and biological activities.

β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits histone deacetylase 3 to promote claudin-5 generation and attenuate cardiac microvascular hyperpermeability in diabetes.

Microvascular endothelial hyperpermeability, mainly caused by claudin-5 deficiency, is the initial pathological change that occurs in diabetes-associated cardiovascular disease. The ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) exerts unique beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, but the involvement of BHB in promoting the generation of claudin-5 to attenuate cardiac microvascular hyperpermeability in diabetes is poorly understood. The effects of BHB on cardiac microvascular endothelial hyperpermeability and claudin-5 generation were evaluated in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes and in high glucose (HG)-stimulated human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs). To explore the underlying mechanisms, we also measured β-catenin nuclear translocation, binding of β-catenin, histone deacetylase (HDAC)1, HDAC3 and p300 to the Claudin-5 (also known as CLDN5) promoter, interaction between HDAC3 and β-catenin, and histone acetylation in the Claudin-5 promoter. We found that 10weeks of BHB treatment promoted claudin-5 generation and antagonised cardiac microvascular endothelial hyperpermeability in rat models of diabetes. Meanwhile, BHB promoted claudin-5 generation and inhibited paracellular permeability in HG-stimulated HCMECs. Specifically, BHB (2mmol/l) inhibited HG-induced HDAC3 from binding to the Claudin-5 promoter, although nuclear translocation or promoter binding of β-catenin did not change with BHB treatment. In addition, BHB prevented the binding and co-localisation of HDAC3 to β-catenin in HG-stimulated HCMECs. Furthermore, using mass spectrometry, acetylated H3K14 (H3K14ac) in the Claudin-5 promoter following BHB treatment was identified, regardless of whether cells were stimulated by HG or not. Although reduced levels of acetylated H3K9 in the Claudin-5 promoter were found following HG stimulation, increased H3K14ac was specifically associated with BHB treatment. BHB inhibited HDAC3 and caused acetylation of H3K14 in the Claudin-5 promoter, thereby promoting claudin-5 generation and antagonising diabetes-associated cardiac microvascular hyperpermeability. Graphical abstract.

Successful biosynthesis of natural antioxidant ergothioneine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae required only two genes from Grifola frondosa

BackgroundErgothioneine (EGT) has a unique antioxidant ability and diverse beneficial effects on human health. But the content of EGT is very low in its natural producing organisms such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and mushrooms. Therefore, it is necessary to highly efficient heterologous production of EGT in food-grade yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae.ResultsTwo EGT biosynthetic genes were cloned from the mushroom Grifola frondosa and successfully heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae EC1118 strain in this study. By optimization of the fermentation conditions of the engineered strain S. cerevisiae EC1118, the 11.80 mg/L of EGT production was obtained. With daily addition of 1% glycerol to the culture medium in the fermentation process, the EGT production of the engineered strain S. cerevisiae EC1118 can reach up to 20.61 mg/L.ConclusionA successful EGT de novo biosynthetic system of S. cerevisiae containing only two genes from mushroom Grifola frondosa was developed in this study. This system provides promising prospects for the large scales production of EGT for human health.

Qiliqiangxin Capsules Optimize Cardiac Metabolism Flexibility in Rats With Heart Failure After Myocardial Infarction.

Metabolic modulation is a promising therapy for ischemic heart disease and heart failure. This study aimed to clarify the regional modulatory effect of Qiliqiangxin capsules (QLQX), a traditional Chinese medicine, on cardiac metabolic phenotypes. Sprague–Dawley rats underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation and were treated with QLQX and enalapril. Striking global left ventricular dysfunction and left ventricular remodeling were significantly improved by QLQX. In addition to the posterior wall, QLQX also had a unique beneficial effect on the anterior wall subject to a severe oxygen deficit. Cardiac tissues in the border and remote areas were separated for detection. QLQX enhanced the cardiac 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and the levels and translocation of glucose transport 4 (GLUT4) in the border area. Meanwhile, it also suppressed glucose transport 1 (GLUT1) in both areas, indicating that QLQX encouraged border myocytes to use more glucose in a GLUT4-dependent manner. It was inferred that QLQX promoted a shift from glucose oxidation to anaerobic glycolysis in the border area by the augmentation of phosphorylated pyruvate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases 4, and lactic dehydrogenase A. QLQX also upregulated the protein expression of fatty acid translocase and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 in the remote area to possibly normalize fatty acid (FA) uptake and oxidation similar to that in healthy hearts. QLQX protected global viable cardiomyocytes and promoted metabolic flexibility by modulating metabolic proteins regionally, indicating its potential for driving the border myocardium into an anaerobic glycolytic pathway against hypoxia injuries and urging the remote myocardium to oxidize FA to maximize energy production.

Stabilising Urea Amine Nitrogen Increases Potato Tuber Yield by Increasing Chlorophyll Content, Reducing Shoot Growth Rate and Increasing Biomass Partitioning to Roots and Tubers

Much of the nitrogen in crop fertiliser is degraded before acquisition. Technologies that stabilise urea-nitrogen minimise this. Degradation also specifically reduces the amount of ureic amine that many fertilisers initially contain, which is important because this nitrogen form has unique beneficial effects on plants. To investigate mechanisms whereby urea stabilisation increases potato tuber yield, we compare effects of foliar applications of chemically stabilised and non-stabilised urea against industry-standard fertiliser, on the physiology, form and yield of greenhouse-grown Casablanca under identical nitrogen supply. Stabilised urea is tested on Rooster and Shelford yields in Irish and British field trials. Stabilised amine nitrogen (SAN) increases Casablanca leaf relative chlorophyll content and initially reduces shoot growth rate. When harvested shortly after tuber initiation, SAN-treated plants have increased root to shoot weight ratios and we find tight negative correlations between shoot growth rate and root weight: large roots and slow shoot extension occur predominantly in SAN-treated plants. SAN increases ratios between initiation-stage tuber weight and (a) shoot length and (b) shoot growth rate. At a second harvest at mid-bulking, SAN increases high-grade Casablanca tuber yielding. At this later stage, yield correlates positively with shoot weight. In the field, SAN increases Rooster canopy greenness and marketable yields of both Rooster and Shelford. Yield improvements specific to this N form when stabilised are suggested to occur through increased photosynthesis and early-stage increases in root to shoot weight ratio. This phenotype then supports increased bulking-stage shoot growth and shoot-sourced resource for tuber growth. Stabilising urea amine induces high-yielding phenotypes with improved internal nitrogen utilisation efficiencies.

Biliopancreatic Diversion Induces Greater Metabolic Improvement Than Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Diabetes remission is greater after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. We used a mixed-meal test with ingested and infused glucose tracers and the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure with glucose tracer infusion to assess the effect of 20% weight loss induced by either RYGB or BPD on glucoregulation in people with obesity (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03111953). The rate of appearance of ingested glucose into the circulation was much slower, and the postprandial increases in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were markedly blunted after BPD compared to after RYGB. Insulin sensitivity, assessed as glucose disposal rate during insulin infusion, was ∼45% greater after BPD than RYGB, whereas β cell function was not different between groups. These results demonstrate thatcompared with matched-percentage weight loss induced by RYGB, BPD has unique beneficial effects on glycemic control, manifested by slower postprandial glucose absorption, blunted postprandial plasma glucose and insulin excursions, and greater improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Positive Affect Intervention for Those Living with Comorbid HIV Depression.

Positive affect has unique beneficial effects on psychological and physical health, independent of the effects of negative affect. Interventions that explicitly target positive affect show promise for improving health outcomes in a number of chronic illnesses. In this article, we present pilot data on theacceptability and feasibility of an online intervention to increase positive affect in those living with comorbid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and depression. The intervention was rated both acceptable and feasible by participants. Six of nine participants completed the intervention and the subsequent follow-up assessment and a post-intervention phone call. We also present outcomes of planned comparisons of intervention effects on emotion, which indicate that positive affect increased significantly in the intervention group. Based upon results of the current study, future research should continue the development of positive affect interventions for people living with comorbid HIV and depression.