A three‐dimensional cell culture system as an in vitro canine mammary carcinoma model for the expression of connective tissue modulators

In this study, derived complex carcinoma (CC) and simple carcinoma (SC) cell lines were established and cultured under two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) conditions. The 3D was performed in six‐well AlgiMatrix? (LifeTechnologies®, Carlsbad, CA, USA) scaffolds, resulting in spheroids sized 50–125 µm for CC and 175–200 µm for SC. Cell viability was demonstrated up to 14 days for both models. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was expressed in CC and SC in both systems. However, higher mRNA and protein levels were observed in SC 2D and 3D systems when compared with CC (P < 0.005). The connective tissue modulators, metalloproteinases‐1, ‐2, ‐9 and ‐13 (MMPs), relaxin receptors 1 and 2 (RXR1 and RXR2) and E‐cadherin (CDH1) were quantitated. All were upregulated similarly when canine mammary tumour (CMT)‐derived cell lines were cultured under 3D AlgiMatrix, except CDH1 that was downregulated (P < 0.005). These results are promising towards the used of 3D system to increase a high throughput in vitro canine tumour model.     

Chemical and microbiological soil properties in organic and conventional management systems of Coffea arabica L.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic (OS) and conventional (CS) farming of Arabica coffee on chemical and microbiological soil properties and to identify which attributes correlate and/or contribute to distinguishing these two management systems. We collected soil samples on a 100 × 100 m² grid in both, the OS and CS, in winter and summer and submitted chemical and microbiological properties to univariate and multivariate analyses (canonical discriminant analysis – CDA – and redundancy analysis – RDA). The best indicators to discriminate OS and CS were chemical and microbiological properties, as the elements calcium (Ca) and boron (B), besides microbial biomass carbon (MBC), metabolic quotient (qCO₂), acid phosphatase (ACP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The RDA showed that, regardless of the season, MBC and ACP correlated with nitrogen (N), sulfur (S) and organic matter (OM), whereas basal respiration (C-CO₂) and ACP correlated with qCO₂ and with magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and pH.     

Long-term effects of good handling practices during the pre-weaning period of crossbred dairy heifer calves

The aim of this study was to determine whether applying good practices of handling during the pre-weaning period have long-term effects on behavioral and physiological indicators, health status, and average daily gain (ADG) of crossbred Bos taurus × Bos indicus heifer calves. During the pre-weaning period, 98 crossbred of Holstein × Gir heifer calves were allotted into three treatments: (1) good practices of handling + brushing (GPB; n?=?25), (2) good practices of handling (GP; n?=?25), and (3) control (n?=?48). Every 2 months, four evaluation periods (EV₁ to EV₄) were conducted to record data. Behavioral indicators comprised time to drive (TD), flight speed (FS), flight distance (FD), and composite reactivity score (CRS). Physiological indicators of acute stress during handling comprised respiratory and heart rates. Health status comprised data regarding occurrence of most common diseases (i.e., pneumonia and anaplasmosis). Collected data were analyzed by using a linear mixed model for repeated measures, Tukey’s test, and chi-squared procedures. Treatment influenced (P?<?0.05) TD, FS, and FD but not CRS (P?=?0.78). From EV₁ to EV₃, the control calves had the lowest TD. The GPB group had lower FS than the control but did not differ from GP. The GPB group had lower FD means than the other two groups in EV₂, EV₃, and EV₄. No differences (P?>?0.05) due to treatment were observed on heart and respiratory rates, ADG, or occurrence of pneumonia and anaplasmosis. It was concluded that adoption of good practices of handling during pre-weaning period may lead to long-term positive effects.     

Anesthetic management of a white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) undergoing an emergency exploratory celiotomy for colic

ObservationsA 26-year-old male white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), weighing approximately 2000 kg was anesthetized for an exploratory celiotomy. Sedation was achieved with intramuscular butorphanol (0.04 mg kg^?1) and detomidine (0.025 mg kg^?1) and induction of anesthesia with intravenous glyceryl guaiacolate (50 g) and three intravenous boluses of ketamine (200 mg, each); the trachea was then intubated and anesthesia maintained with isoflurane in oxygen using a circle breathing system. Positioning in dorsal recumbency for the surgery and later in sternal recumbency for the recovery represented challenges that added to the prolonged anesthesia time and surgical approach to partially correct an impaction. The rhinoceros recovered uneventfully after 10.4 hours of recumbency.ConclusionsAnesthetic management for an exploratory celiotomy with a midline approach is possible in rhinoceroses, although planning and extensive staff support is necessary to adequately position the patient.     

Soluble carbohydrates content in tomato pollen and its variations along and between blooming periods

The soluble carbohydrates content in the mature (starchless) pollen of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. Platense was studied at several moments of the blooming period in two consecutive years. The aim of the analysis was to evaluate if the content of soluble carbohydrates is relatively constant or if it can fluctuate along the blooming period. No significant variations in pollen viability were recorded along each season. The soluble carbohydrates found and their concentrations can change significantly among samples, but the fluctuations observed did not follow a strongly definite pattern in any season. Reducing sugars predominated; small quantities of a phosphorylated sugar, UDP-glucose, and maltosaccharides were also recorded. The constant presence of maltosaccharides is a novel record for pollen. Sucrose was absent in one season, but present in the other, in low percentages in contrast to reducing sugars. Changes in the soluble carbohydrates content have been usually related with alterations in pollen fertility. However, there may be some flexibility in the metabolism of the pollen studied this time, at least within a certain range, which may allow constant adjustments to maintain acceptable levels of viability despite the variations in the carbohydrates concentrations.     

Genetic structuring among populations of the great egret,Ardea alba egretta,in major Brazilian wetlands

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Genotype × environment interaction for long-yearling weight in Canchim cattle quantified by reaction norm analysis

The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of genotype × environment interactions (G×E) for long-yearling weight in Canchim cattle (5/8 Charolais + 3/8 zebu) in Brazil using reaction norms (RN). The hierarchical RN model included the fixed effect of age of the animal (linear coefficient) and random effects of contemporary groups and additive animal genetic intercept and slope of the RN and contemporary group effects as random effects. Contemporary groups as the most elemental representation of management conditions in beef cattle were chosen to represent the environmental covariate of the RN. The deviance information criteria demonstrated that a homoskedastic residual RN model provided a better data fit compared with a heteroskedastic counterpart and with a traditional animal model, which had the worst fit. The environmental gradient for long-yearling weight based on contemporary group effects ranged from -105 to 150 kg. The additive direct variance and heritability estimates increased with increasing environmental gradient from 74.33 ± 22.32 to 1,922.59 ± 258.99 kg(2) and from 0.08 ± 0.02 to 0.68 ± 0.03, respectively. The high genetic correlation (0.90 ± 0.03) between the intercept and the slope of the RN shows that animals with the greatest breeding values best responded to environmental improvement, characterizing scale effect as the source of G×E for long-yearling weight. The phenotypic plasticity demonstrated by the slope of the RN of the animal indicates the possibility to change genotype expression along the environmental gradient through selection. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for G×E in the genetic evaluation of this population.