Development of social behaviour and importance of social relations in calves

We concluded that the preference for peers met at two weeks of age can be seen in proximity of the calves. However, calves can form stable relations at least until the age of 14 weeks. These relations reduce aggressive behaviour, activity and frequency of vocalization, and help calves to cope with new and potentially stressful situations

Tillage System and Crop Sequence Affect Soil Disease Suppressiveness and Carbon Status in Boreal Climate

Correction FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY Volume: 12 Article Number: 693341 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.693341 Published: MAY 20 2021The soil-borne plant pathogens cause serious yield losses and are difficult to control. In suppressive soils, disease incidence remains low regardless of the presence of the pathogen, the host plant, and favorable environmental conditions. The potential to improve natural soil disease suppressiveness through agricultural management practices would enable sustainable and resilient crop production systems. Our aim was to study the impact of autumn tillage methods and crop sequence on the soil carbon status, fungistasis and yield in boreal climate. The disease suppression was improved by the long-term reduced and no tillage management practices with and without crop rotation. Compared to the conventional plowing, the non-inversion tillage systems were shown to change the vertical distribution of soil carbon fractions and the amount of microbial biomass by concentrating them on the soil surface. Crop sequence and the choice of tillage method had a combined effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. The improved general disease suppression had a positive correlation with the labile carbon status and microbial biomass. From the most common Fusarium species, the predominantly saprophytic F. avenaceum was more abundant under non-inversion practice, whereas the opposite was true for the pathogenic ones. Our findings furthermore demonstrated the correlation of the soil fungistasis laboratory assay results and the prevalence of the pathogenic test fungus Fusarium culmorum on the crop cereals in the field. Our results indicate that optimized management strategies have potential to improve microbial related soil fungistasis in boreal climate.Peer reviewe

Mapping peat soil moisture under oil palm plantation and tropical forest in Sarawak

Water table conditions in drained peatlands affect peat decomposition, fluvial carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, and plant growth in oil palm plantations. This study illustrates the spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture profiles in cultivated tropical peat under oil palm plantation and uncultivated secondary forest, using maps. At a study plot under each land use the geographical coordinates of sampling points, tree locations and other features were recorded. Peat soil samples were taken at depths of 0–50 cm, 50–100 cm, 100–150 cm and 150–200 cm, and their moisture contents were determined. Overall, soil moisture content was higher in secondary forest than in oil palm plantation due to land management activities such as drainage and peat compaction in the latter. Significant differences were observed between the topsoil (0–50 cm) and deeper soil layers under both land uses. Soil moisture maps of the study plots interpolated using geographical information system (GIS) software were used to visualise the spatial distributions of moisture content in soil layers at different depths (0–50 cm, 50–100 cm, 100–150 cm, 150–200 cm). Moisture content in the 0–50 cm soil layer appeared to be inversely related to elevation, but the correlation was not statistically significant. On the other hand, there was a significant positive correlation between soil moisture content and the diameters of oil palm trunks. Palm trees with negative growth of trunk diameter were mostly located in subplots which were relatively dry and/or located near drains. The results of this study indicate that soil moisture mapping using GIS could be a useful tool in improving the management of peatland to promote oil palm growth.Peer reviewe

Short-Term Cooling Increases Plasma ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 in Young Healthy Lean Men but Not in Middle-Aged Men with Overweight and Prediabetes

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTLs) regulate triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein distribution via inhibiting TG hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase in metabolic tissues. Brown adipose tissue combusts TG-derived fatty acids to enhance thermogenesis during cold exposure. It has been shown that cold exposure regulates ANGPTL4, but its effects on ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 in humans have not been elucidated. We therefore investigated the effect of short-term cooling on plasma ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8, besides ANGPTL4. Twenty-four young, healthy, lean men and 20 middle-aged men with overweight and prediabetes were subjected to 2 h of mild cooling just above their individual shivering threshold. Before and after short-term cooling, plasma ANGPTL3, ANGPTL4, and ANGPTL8 were determined by ELISA. In young, healthy, lean men, short-term cooling increased plasma ANGPTL3 (+16%, p < 0.05), ANGPTL4 (+15%, p < 0.05), and ANGPTL8 levels (+28%, p < 0.001). In middle-aged men with overweight and prediabetes, short-term cooling only significantly increased plasma ANGPTL4 levels (+15%, p < 0.05), but not ANGPTL3 (230 ± 9 vs. 251 ± 13 ng/mL, p = 0.051) or ANGPTL8 (2.2 ± 0.5 vs. 2.3 ± 0.5 μg/mL, p = 0.46). We show that short-term cooling increases plasma ANGPTL4 levels in men, regardless of age and metabolic status, but only overtly increases ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 levels in young, healthy, lean men

Short-Term Cooling Increases Plasma ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 in Young Healthy Lean Men but Not in Middle-Aged Men with Overweight and Prediabetes

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTLs) regulate triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein distribution via inhibiting TG hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase in metabolic tissues. Brown adipose tissue combusts TG-derived fatty acids to enhance thermogenesis during cold exposure. It has been shown that cold exposure regulates ANGPTL4, but its effects on ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 in humans have not been elucidated. We therefore investigated the effect of short-term cooling on plasma ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8, besides ANGPTL4. Twenty-four young, healthy, lean men and 20 middle-aged men with overweight and prediabetes were subjected to 2 h of mild cooling just above their individual shivering threshold. Before and after short-term cooling, plasma ANGPTL3, ANGPTL4, and ANGPTL8 were determined by ELISA. In young, healthy, lean men, short-term cooling increased plasma ANGPTL3 (+16%, p < 0.05), ANGPTL4 (+15%, p < 0.05), and ANGPTL8 levels (+28%, p < 0.001). In middle-aged men with overweight and prediabetes, short-term cooling only significantly increased plasma ANGPTL4 levels (+15%, p < 0.05), but not ANGPTL3 (230 ± 9 vs. 251 ± 13 ng/mL, p = 0.051) or ANGPTL8 (2.2 ± 0.5 vs. 2.3 ± 0.5 μg/mL, p = 0.46). We show that short-term cooling increases plasma ANGPTL4 levels in men, regardless of age and metabolic status, but only overtly increases ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL8 levels in young, healthy, lean men

The expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Scandinavian Societies for Medical Microbiology and Pathology.P-cadherin (CDH3) is a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule that regulates several cellular homeostatic processes in normal tissues. Lack of CDH3 expression is associated with aggressive behavior in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Previous studies have shown that CDH3 is downregulated in high-grade OSCC and its reduced expression is predictive for poorer survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). A retrospective series of 211 TSCC and 50 lymph node samples were stained immunohistochemically with polyclonal antibody (anti-CDH3). CDH3 expression was assessed semi-quantitatively with light microscopy. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare patient and tumor characteristics, and the correlations were tested by Spearman correlation. Survival curves were drawn by the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the association between CDH3 expression and survival. CDH3 expression did not affect TSCC patient’s disease-specific survival or overall survival. Strong CDH3 expression in the primary tumor predicted poor disease-specific and overall survival in patients with recurrent disease. CDH3 expression in lymph nodes without metastasis was negative in all cases. CDH3 expression was positive in all lymph node metastases with extranodal extension. In contrast to previous report about the prognostic value of CDH3 in OSCC, we were not able to validate the result in TSCC.Peer reviewe

The expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Scandinavian Societies for Medical Microbiology and Pathology.P-cadherin (CDH3) is a cell-to-cell adhesion molecule that regulates several cellular homeostatic processes in normal tissues. Lack of CDH3 expression is associated with aggressive behavior in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Previous studies have shown that CDH3 is downregulated in high-grade OSCC and its reduced expression is predictive for poorer survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and prognostic relevance of CDH3 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). A retrospective series of 211 TSCC and 50 lymph node samples were stained immunohistochemically with polyclonal antibody (anti-CDH3). CDH3 expression was assessed semi-quantitatively with light microscopy. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare patient and tumor characteristics, and the correlations were tested by Spearman correlation. Survival curves were drawn by the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed by the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate the association between CDH3 expression and survival. CDH3 expression did not affect TSCC patient’s disease-specific survival or overall survival. Strong CDH3 expression in the primary tumor predicted poor disease-specific and overall survival in patients with recurrent disease. CDH3 expression in lymph nodes without metastasis was negative in all cases. CDH3 expression was positive in all lymph node metastases with extranodal extension. In contrast to previous report about the prognostic value of CDH3 in OSCC, we were not able to validate the result in TSCC.Peer reviewe

The effect of fascin 1 inhibition on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells

Fascin 1 plays important pro-metastatic roles in head and neck carcinoma (HNSCC) migration, invasion, and metastasis. However, limited advancement in targeting metastasis remains a major obstacle in improving HNSCC patients' survival. Therefore, we assessed the therapeutic potential of fascin 1 targeted inhibition and its potential prognostic value in HNSCC patients. Using in vitro and in vivo approaches, we investigated the effect of compound G2, a novel fascin 1 inhibitor, on HNSCC cells migration, invasion, and metastasis. High-throughput screening (HTS) was used to assess cytotoxic activity of compound G2 alone or combined with irradiation. We also evaluated the prognostic potential of fascin 1 in HNSCC patients. Interestingly, compound G2 reduced carcinoma cells migration and invasion in vitro and inhibited metastasis in vivo. Moreover, HTS revealed a modest cytotoxic activity of the compound G2 on HNSCC cell lines. Irradiation did not synergistically enhance the compound G2-mediated cytotoxic activity. Survival analyses showed that high fascin 1 immunoexpression, at the tumor invasive front, was associated with cancer-specific mortality in the advanced stages of HNSCC. Collectively, our findings suggest that fascin 1 represents a promising anti-metastatic therapeutic target and a useful prognostic marker in patients with HNSCC. Novel anti-metastatic agents could provide a valuable addition to cancer therapy.Peer reviewe

The effect of fascin 1 inhibition on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells

Fascin 1 plays important pro-metastatic roles in head and neck carcinoma (HNSCC) migration, invasion, and metastasis. However, limited advancement in targeting metastasis remains a major obstacle in improving HNSCC patients' survival. Therefore, we assessed the therapeutic potential of fascin 1 targeted inhibition and its potential prognostic value in HNSCC patients. Using in vitro and in vivo approaches, we investigated the effect of compound G2, a novel fascin 1 inhibitor, on HNSCC cells migration, invasion, and metastasis. High-throughput screening (HTS) was used to assess cytotoxic activity of compound G2 alone or combined with irradiation. We also evaluated the prognostic potential of fascin 1 in HNSCC patients. Interestingly, compound G2 reduced carcinoma cells migration and invasion in vitro and inhibited metastasis in vivo. Moreover, HTS revealed a modest cytotoxic activity of the compound G2 on HNSCC cell lines. Irradiation did not synergistically enhance the compound G2-mediated cytotoxic activity. Survival analyses showed that high fascin 1 immunoexpression, at the tumor invasive front, was associated with cancer-specific mortality in the advanced stages of HNSCC. Collectively, our findings suggest that fascin 1 represents a promising anti-metastatic therapeutic target and a useful prognostic marker in patients with HNSCC. Novel anti-metastatic agents could provide a valuable addition to cancer therapy.</p