Hoxb7 overexpression leads triple-negative breast cancer cells to a less aggressive phenotype

HOX genes appear to play a role in breast cancer progression in a molecular subtype-dependent way. The altered expression of HOXB7, for example, was reported to promote breast cancer progression in specific subtypes. Here we induced HOXB7 overexpression in MDA-MB-231 cells, a cellular model of the Triple-Negative breast cancer molecular subtype, and evaluated the phenotypic changes in cell viability, morphogenesis, migration, invasion, and colony formation. During the phenotypic characterization of the HOXB7-overexpressing cells, we consistently found less aggressive behavior represented by lower cell viability, inhibition of cell migration, invasion, and attachment-independent colony formation capacities added to the more compact and organized spheroid growth in 3D cultures. We then evaluated the expression of putative downstream targets and their direct binding to HOXB7 comparing ChIP-qPCR data generated from HOXB7-overexpressing cells and controls. In the manipulated cells, we found enriched biding of HOXB7 to CTNNB1, EGFR, FGF2, CDH1, DNMT3B, TGFB2, and COMMD7. Taken together, these results highlight the plasticity of the HOXB7 function in breast cancer, according to the cellular genetic background and expression levels, and provide evidence that in Triple-Negative breast cancer cells, HOXB7 overexpression has the potential to promote less aggressive phenotypes.This research was funded FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020—Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030562), Portugal 2020, and Portuguese funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project PTDC/BTM-TEC/30562/2017

Assessment of broiler surface temperature variation when exposed to different air temperatures

This study was conducted to determine the effect of the air temperature variation on the mean surface temperature (MST) of 7- to 35-day-old broiler chickens using infrared thermometry to estimate MST, and to study surface temperature variation of the wings, head, legs, back and comb as affected by air temperature and broiler age. One hundred Cobb® broilers were used in the experiment. Starting on day 7, 10 birds were weekly selected at random, housed in an environmental chamber and reared under three distinct temperatures (18, 25 and 32 ºC) to record their thermal profile using an infrared thermal camera. The recorded images were processed to estimate MST by selecting the whole area of the bird within the picture and comparing it with the values obtained using selected equations in literature, and to record the surface temperatures of the body parts. The MST estimated by infrared images were not statistically different (p &gt; 0.05) from the values obtained by the equations. MST values significantly increased (p < 0.05) when the air temperature increased, but were not affected by bird age. However, age influenced the difference between MST and air temperature, which was highest on day 14. The technique of infrared thermal image analysis was useful to estimate the mean surface temperature of broiler chickens.25926

Transmissão de luz em sistemas silvipastoris com eucalipto.

Conduziu-se um estudo preliminar para determinar os níveis de transmissão de luz em dois sistemas silvipastoris com eucalipto, de diferentes idades (2,5 e 5,5 anos), plantados no espaçamento de 10 x 4 m com as fileiras no sentido leste-oeste, objetivando conhecer melhor a evolução do sistema em termos de disponibilidade de luz para o sub-bosque. As avaliações foram realizadas em maio de 1999, em dias com céu claro, entre 11 e 13 horas. As determinações da densidade do fluxo de fótons (Dff) foram realizadas ao longo de dez transeções, transversais às fileiras de eucalipto. Determinou-se também a DFF a pleno sol. A variação espacial da transmissão de luz ao sub-bosque diferiu entre os sistemas, porém os valores médios de transmissão de luz foram idênticos (32% de pleno sol). Esse valor subestima a transmissão de luz aos sub-bosques dos sitemas silvipastoris estudados durante o verão, quando a altitude solar no local é maior. Nesta época, é provável que os valores estivessem superiores a 50%, nos dois sistemas

Uso de sondas de epifluorescência para a avaliação de sêmen criopreservado bubalino.

v. 1. p. 1-4

DAOs: Governance in the Blockchain Era

Blockchain technology promises to revolutionize not only the way we transact among peers but also the way we organize to create socio-economic value. Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are governed and owned by the community whose members follow a set of blockchain-embedded governance rules that define and control participation. In this chapter, we will clarify what governance decentralization and automation mean, examining DAOs’ distinguishing characteristics. We will also discuss the problems that DAOs solve (e.g., lack of extrinsic incentives, censorship, mismanagement and lack of transparency and accountability), as well as the problems they face (e.g., lack of participation, rigidity, voting misbehaviours and legal status)

Grazing management strategies for massaigrass-forage peanut pastures. 1. Dynamics of sward conditions and botanical composition.

This study was carried out from October 2002 to December 2003 to evaluate the dynamics of sward condition and botanical composition of a mixed massaigrass (Panicum maximum x P. infestum, cv. Massai) and forage peanut (Arachis pintoi Ac 01) pasture, intermittently stocked at three daily herbage allowance levels (9.0, 14.5 and 18.4% live weight). Sward condition was characterized in each grazing cycle in terms of the pre- and post-grazing sward height, forage mass and percentage of bare ground. Botanical composition (grass, legume and weeds) was evaluated before each grazing period. Sward height and forage mass increased linearly with increasing herbage allowance (HA) levels, and higher values were observed during the rainy season. Percentage of bare ground increased primarily at the lowest HA level. Percentage of forage peanut increased throughout the experimental period, primarily in the barest and shortest swards, under the lowest HA level. In the last quarter of 2003 the legume constituted 23.5, 10.6 and 6.4% of the pasture forage mass, respectively, from the lowest to the highest HA level. These results suggest that forage peanut can be successfully associated with massaigrass, as long as the pre-grazing sward height is maintained shorter than 65-70 cm, which will prevent excessive shading to the legume

Grazing management strategies for massaigrass-forage peanut pastures. 2. Productivity, utilization and sward structure.

This study was carried out to evaluate the productivity, utilization and sward structure of a mixed massaigrass (Panicum maximum x P. infestum, cv. Massai) and forage peanut (Arachis pintoi Ac 01) pasture, intermittently stocked at three daily herbage allowance levels (9.0, 14.5 and 18.4% of live weight). In each grazing cycle, dry matter (DM) accumulation rates, defoliation intensity (%), grazing depth (%) and grazed horizon (cm) were evaluated. The structure of massaigrass tussocks was characterized in both dry and rainy seasons by measuring its pre-grazing morphological composition and postgrazing height and density (tussocks/m). Pastures submitted to higher herbage allowance (HA) levels showed higher productivity, but were less efficiently utilized. On average, over the experimental period, DM accumulation rates increased linearly from 56.8 to 81.3 kg/ha/day as HA levels increased from 9.0 to 18.4% of live weight. However, defoliation intensity and grazing depth declined linearly with increasing HA levels. During the dry season, pre-grazing morphological composition of massaigrass was characterized by 41% of green leaf blades, 10% of pseudostems and 49% of dead material, irrespective of HA levels. In the rainy season, however, it showed higher percentage of green leaf blades and lower percentage of pseudostems when submitted to lower HA levels, although there were not differences in relation to percentage of dead material. The structure of massaigrass tussocks tended to deteriorate at high HA levels