Chronic Ethanol Intake Promotes Double Gluthatione S-transferase/transforming Growth Factor-α-positive Hepatocellular Lesions In Male Wistar Rats

The chronic ethanol intake influence on the gluthatione S-transferase (GST-P) and transforming growth factor α (TGF-α) expression in remodeling/persistent preneoplastic lesions (PNLs) was evaluated in the resistant hepatocyte model. Male Wistar rats were allocated into five groups: G1, non-treated, fed water and chow ad libitum; G2, non-treated and pair-fed chow (restricted to match that of G3 group) and a maltodextrin (MD) solution in tap water (matched ethanol-derived calories); G3, fed 5% ethanol in drinking water and chow ad libitum; G4, diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg, body weight) plus 200 parts per million of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) for 3 weeks and pair-fed chow (restricted to match that of G5 group) and an MD solution in tap water (matched ethanol-derived calories); G5, DEN/2-AAF treatment, fed ethanol 5% and chow ad libitum. All animals were subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy at week 3 and sacrificed at weeks 12 or 22, respectively. Liver samples were collected for histological analysis or immunohistochemical expression of GST-P, TGF-α and proliferating cell nuclear antigen or zymography for matrix metalloproteinases-2 and-9. At the end of ethanol treatment, there was a significant increase in the percentage of liver area occupied by persistent GST-P-positive PNLs, the number of TGF-α-positive PNLs and the development of liver tumors in ethanol-fed and DEN/2-AAF-treated groups (G5 versus G4, P < 0.001). In addition, ethanol feeding led to a significant increase in cell proliferation mainly in remodeling and persistent PNLs with immunoreactivity for TGF-α at week 22 (P < 0.001). Gelatinase activities were not altered by ethanol treatment. 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Soil organic matter humification under different tillage managements evaluated by Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and C/N ratio

AbstractIn this work is presented the use of the C/N ratio and the Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy for determining the humification of soil organic matter (SOM) in an Oxisol under three different long-term tillage managements (no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT)). Humification of SOM was evaluated in the soil and its fractions (clay<2μm, silt 2–20μm, sand 20–1000μm). The obtained results show that lower SOM humification was observed in soil under NT, mainly at the surface (0–5cm). In CT, SOM humification values maintained constant for all investigated depths (0–5, 5–10, 10–15 and 15–20cm). Also, clay was the soil fraction that exhibited the lesser humification of SOM. Based on the obtained results it can be said that NT favors the accumulation of SOM on its surface, increasing aggregate stability and presenting samples with lower humification indexes. These results indicate a larger availability of nutrients for the plants in this management

3D analysis of the soil porous architecture under long term contrasting management systems by X-ray Computed Tomography

The development of adequate soil structure is important for achieving good physical status, which influences the sustainability of agricultural areas. Different management systems lead to the development of a wide range of soil pore network characteristics. The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of three contrasting tillage systems (zero-tillage, ZT; reduced tillage, RT; conventional tillage, CT) in the soil porous system of an Oxisol. Samples were collected from the surface layer (0-10 cm). An area under secondary forest (F) was also assessed to provide an undisturbed reference. X-ray Computed Tomography (μCT) scanning of undisturbed soil samples and image analysis were employed for analysis of the pore network. The soil under ZT had the smallest porosity in comparison to the other 23 management systems. The conventionally tilled soil had the largest porosity and the most connected pores. One large connected pore was responsible for around 90% of the porosity of the resolvable pores (>35 μm) studied for all the management systems. Pores of elongated shapes, which enhance water movement through the soil, were the most frequent pores in terms of shape

Discrete symmetries, invisible axion and lepton number symmetry in an economic 3-3-1 model

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Inflation and late time acceleration in braneworld cosmological models with varying brane tension

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Viability of dietary substitution of live microalgae with dry Ulva rigida in broodstock conditioning of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

The current study evaluated the microalgae replacement by dry macroalgae (Ulva rigida) in the reproductive success and biochemical composition of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) during broodstock conditioning. Five nutritional regimes were tested: 100% macroalgae (diet 1), 50% macroalgae+50% microalgae (diet 2), 25% macroalgae+75% microalgae (diet 3) and 100% microalgae (diet 4). An unfed group was used as a negative control. The microalgae blend was composed of 33% Isochrysis galbana and 67% diatoms (75% Skeletonema costatum+25% Chaetoceros calcitrans). Gonadal maturation was reflected in the physiological condition of the individuals. All treatments, except diet 1, showed an increase in condition index and were fully matured at the end of the trial, with the best physiological condition observed in oysters fed diet 3 and diet 4. Protein and total lipid content increased during the conditioning period, whereas glycogen content decreased. Oysters conditioned with diet 3 had higher protein and total lipid content and lower glycogen content than the other treatments. In addition, diet 3 showed the highest percentage of viable veliger larvae. The current study demonstrated that it is possible to replace 25% of microalgae with macroalgae in the broodstock conditioning, minimizing the operative cost in bivalve hatcheries. © 2018. Published by The Company of BiologistsThis work was supported by Project INNOVMAR-Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources [NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035] within the line ‘INSEAFOOD, Innovation and valorization of seafood products’, funded by the Northern Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020) through the European Regional Development Fund. Postdoctoral fellowships were granted to authors T.G.T. [SFRH/BPD/89360/2012] and to author A.C.G. [ref. SFRH/ BPD/72777/2010], by Fundaçaõ para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), under the auspices of ESF and Portuguese funds. Z.E.M. is grateful to the project [UID/QUI/ 50006/2013-POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265] with support from Fundaçaõ para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/MEC through national funds and co-financed by European Regional Development Fund, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. This work was partially supported by POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006939 [Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy—UID/EQU/00511/2013], funded by the European Regional Development Fund, through COMPETE2020— Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizaçaõ and by national funds via Fundaçaõ para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000005—LEPABE-2-ECO-INNOVATION, supported by NORTE 2020, under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund