Are complex carcinoma of the feline mammary gland and other invasive mammary carcinoma identical tumours? Comparison of clinicopathologic features,DNA ploidy and follow up

Feline mammary carcinomas are known for their unfavourable prognosis due to a strong tendency to local recurrence and metastasis. We studied 73 spontaneous primary mammary carcinomas and identified eight cases presenting a biphasic nature, with neoplastic epithelial and myoepithelial cells (complex carcinoma). These cases presented histopathologic features associated with a better prognosis; they were also associated with higher overall survival and disease-free survival rates compared to other common invasive mammary carcinomas of non-specified type. Complex carcinoma appears to be a low-grade malignancy.     

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of sheep fed alfalfa hay to replace Bermuda grass hay

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass characteristics, meat quality, and organ and viscera weight of forty male sheep, not castrated, initially...     

Evaluation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of blueberries and modelization by artificial neural networks

ABSTRACT

The study aimed at evaluating the influence of different production conditions, conservation, and extraction procedures on the total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of blueberries by DPPH and ABTS methods. The production factors considered were origin, altitude of the farm location, and age of the bushes. The conservation conditions considered were freezing as opposed to the fresh product. The extraction procedures included two different solvents and two orders of extraction. The data analysis was carried out by training artificial neural networks to model the data and extract information from the model.

The results obtained revealed that the type of extract and the order of extraction influenced the concentrations of phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant activity of the different samples studied. Also the origin of the farms from where the blueberries were harvested significantly influence those properties, showing that the blueberries from Oliveira do Hospital had less phenolic compounds and lower antioxidant activity. Also older bushes at higher altitudes seem to produce berries richer in these properties. Regarding conservation, no influence was observed for phenols but a slight influence could be detected for antioxidant activity.     

Evaluation of transformation growth factor beta1, interleukin-10, and interferon-gamma in male symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs naturally infected by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi

The aims of this study were to evaluate the immunomodulatory role of TGF-β₁, IL-10, and INF-γ in spleen and liver extracts and supernatant cultures of white spleen cells from male symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs, naturally infected by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. Thirty dogs from Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, an endemic leishmaniosis area, were selected by positive ELISA serological reaction for Leishmania sp. and divided into two groups: asymptomatic (n = 15) and symptomatic (n = 15) consisting of animals with at least three characteristic signs (fever, dermatitis, lymphoadenopathy, onychogryphosis, weight loss, cachexia, locomotion problems, conjunctivitis, epistaxis, hepatosplenomegaly, edema, and apathy). After euthanasia, spleen and liver fragments were collected for ex vivo quantification of TGF-β₁, IL-10, and INF-γ. Naturally active in vitro produced TGF-β₁ was also evaluated in spleen cell culture supernatant. Spleen and liver extract of asymptomatic dogs had higher mean TGF-β₁ levels than symptomatic dogs. High concentrations of IL-10 were found in spleen, and mainly in liver extract of both groups. Higher INF-γ concentrations were found in spleen extracts of symptomatic dogs, and in liver extracts of asymptomatic dogs. Extract of this cytokine was lower in spleen extract. Although INF-γ is being produced in canine infection, mean levels of TGF-β₁ and IL-10 from spleen and liver extracts were quantitatively much higher; suggesting that immune response in both asymptomatic and symptomatic dogs was predominantly type Th2.     

Physicochemical Properties of Maize Starch Obtained from Intermittent Milling and Dynamic Steeping (IMDS) Under Various Steeping Conditions

Physicochemical properties of maize starch obtained under different steeping conditions by intermittent milling and dynamic steeping process (IMDS) were studied. Brazilian dent maize (hybrid XL 606) was milled using a 2×2×3 factorial experimental design with two lactic acid levels (0.0 and 0.55%, v/v), two SO₂ levels (0.05 and 0.1%, w/v), and three temperatures (52, 60, and 68°C). Properties of starch obtained by conventional wet‐milling process (36 hr at 52°C, 0.55% lactic acid, and 0.2% SO₂) were used for comparison. Starch protein content and solubility increased with presence of lactic acid, while swelling power decreased. Higher SO₂ concentration (0.1%) had the same effect as lactic acid on some properties. Steeping temperatures of 60 and 68°C increased solubility and most of the thermal properties but reduced swelling power, suggesting stronger starch annealing during IMDS at these temperatures. Some thermal changes on starch granules were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 60 and 68°C. Amylose content as well as pasting properties were affected by steeping factors and interactions. Starches from IMDS and conventional wet‐milling processes were similar in most properties, indicating that IMDS provides starch with quality similar to that from conventional milling.     

Inheritance of the stay-green trait in tropical maize

Stay-green maize genotypes have been associated with tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, including tolerance to drought, and to stalk and root lodging, but there is limited information on its inheritance. Thus, this research was conducted to study the inheritance of the stay-green trait using both conventional analysis and QTL mapping of the Design III in a tropical maize population developed from two inbred lines genetically divergent for this trait. Two-hundred and fifty F₂ plants were genotyped with 177 microsatellite markers, and their backcrossed progenies to both parental inbreds were evaluated at three locations. Ten plants per plot were assessed 120 days after sowing and the plot means scores for stay-green, adjusted for days to silking emergence, were used for analysis. The additive variance was larger than the dominance variance, the genetic by location interaction variance presented a high magnitude, and the heritability coefficient on a plant-basis a low magnitude. Seventeen QTL were mapped, most of them were clustered on four chromosomes and accounted for by 73.08 % of the genetic variance. About half of the QTL interacted with location, and the average level of dominance was partial dominance. The additive effects were larger than the dominance effects; the latter were not unidirectional, so that heterosis could not be exploited in crosses. Procedures for marker-assisted selection to increase the level of stay-green are discussed and an approach is suggested for using both stable and non-stable QTL in a marker-assisted backcross program.     

Invasive Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana threatens native mussel reproduction by inducing cross‐resistance of host fish

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Assessment of induction and recovery times of anaesthesia in Astyanax bimaculatus using 2‐phenoxyethanol and the essential oils of Melaleuca alternifolia and Ocimum gratissimum

This study aimed to determine the lowest effective concentration (LEC) of 2‐phenoxyethanol (2‐Phe) and essential oils (EOs) of Melaleuca alternifolia and Ocimum gratissimum able to induce anaesthesia in Astyanax bimaculatus. LEC was assumed to be the required concentration to carry out anaesthesia in less than 3 min with recovery in <5 min and sufficient to carry out routine aquaculture procedures. The following concentrations were tested: 2‐Phe (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 µl/L); M. alternifolia (200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 µl/L); and O. gratissimum (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 100, 150, 250 and 300 µl/L). Results show that all three agents evaluated have effective anaesthetic properties for use in Astyanax bimaculatus with LEC for 2‐Phe, M. alternifolia and O. gratissimum of 200, 300 and 60 µl/L respectively.     

Dietary organic acids blend alone or in combination with an essential oil on the survival,growth, gut/liver structure and de hemato‐immunological in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of organic acids blend (OAB) alone or in combination with essential oil, Lippia origanoides (OAE) for Nile tilapia fed supplemented diets for 30 days. Fish (1.1 ± 0.04 g) were fed control (Control), or OAB 0.5% or OAB 0.5% + essential oil 0.125% (OAE) respectively. At the end of the experiment, samples were collected for de hemato‐immunological, histological analysis of the intestine and liver, as well as microbiology of the intestine. The pH of the diets supplemented with OAB and OAE reduced 0.92 and 0.19 respectively. The growth and FCR were unaffected by the treatments, but survival was significantly higher in the OAB treatment. Fish fed the OAB diet showed reduced concentration of total heterotrophic bacteria and Pseudomonas sp. in the intestine. Increased glucose in fish fed OAB and high number of circulating monocytes in fish fed OAE diet were observed. The anterior intestine of fish fed OAE diet showed larger number of goblet cells and increased villi height. The diet supplemented with OAB, mainly, improved the intestinal health and survival of tilapia juveniles and can be used in juvenile production.