Muscle tissue transcriptome of F1 Angus-Nellore bulls and steers feedlot finished: impacts on intramuscular fat deposition.

Background: Castration is a common practice in beef cattle production systems to manage breeding and enhance meat quality by promoting intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition, known as marbling. However, the molecular mechanisms that are influenced by castration in beef cattle are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolic pathways that regulate IMF deposition in crossbred cattle by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of skeletal muscle tissue.

Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV): A Review.

Rice ( spp.) is mostly grown directly from seed and sown on wet or dry seed beds or usually used as transplants on nursery beds. Among all the economically important viral diseases in the world, rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) is only prevalent in rice-growing countries in Africa.

Evaluation of genetic diversity and genome-wide association studies of resistance to bacterial wilt disease in potato.

The development of novel improved varieties adapted to unstable environmental conditions is possible through the genetic diversity of breeding materials. Potato is among the most important food crops worldwide, however, there are still significant hindrances to breeding gains attributed to its autotetraploid and highly heterozygous genome. Bacterial wilt caused by the species complex (RSSC) is an important disease affecting potato among many economically important crops worldwide.

Evaluation of enteral and parenteral hyaluronic acid in induced ischemic skin flaps in rats: a double-blinded and randomized study.

Purpose: To evaluate exogenous hyaluronic acid (HA) derived from bacterial fermentation through enteral and parenteral routes in ischemic skin flaps induced in rats, using clinical and histological exams; and interleukins (IL) as tissue inflammatory biomarkers.

Methods: Sixty-four male adults Wistar rats with ischemic skin flaps on the dorsum were randomized into four groups, based on the treatment protocol: subcutaneous administration of saline solution (0.9%) (GI); oral administration of distilled water (GII); subcutaneous administration of HA (0.

Effects of 12 Weeks of Daily Melatonin Administration on Inflammatory Markers and Adipose Tissue Mass of Rats under Hypoestrogenism.

: The hormonal state of hypoestrogenism is associated with the accumulation of white adipose tissue, which can induce an increase in pro-inflammatory markers, leading to progressive health complications. Melatonin can act on adipose tissue mass, promoting its reduction and influencing inflammation, reducing IL-6 and releasing IL-10, pro- and anti-inflammatory markers, respectively. However, the role of melatonin regarding such parameters under the context of hypoestrogenism remains unknown.

Multi-trait selection for nutritional and physiological quality of cacao genotypes in irrigated and non-irrigated environments.

Water is a scarce, strategic resource and the most important input for economic development, especially in agricultural countries such as Brazil. Cocoa production is directly related to water availability, and, as climate changes, selecting drought-tolerant genotypes is vital to keep cacao crops sustainable. Here, we evaluated cacao genotypes under irrigated and water-stressed conditions and selected drought-tolerant ones based on nutritional and physiological traits.

GIS-FA: an approach to integrating thematic maps, factor-analytic, and envirotyping for cultivar targeting.

We propose an "enviromics" prediction model for recommending cultivars based on thematic maps aimed at decision-makers. Parsimonious methods that capture genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) in multi-environment trials (MET) are important in breeding programs. Understanding the causes and factors of GEI allows the utilization of genotype adaptations in the target population of environments through environmental features and factor-analytic (FA) models.

8-Methoxy-α-lapachone and lawsone: antiproliferative effects on bladder tumour cells.

Quinones are chemical compounds produced from the oxidation of phenols. Among the quinones, naphthoquinones stand out as potential antitumor agents. Bladder tumour is the tenth most diagnosed in the world.

Developing best practices for genotyping-by-sequencing analysis in the construction of linkage maps.

Background: Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) provides affordable methods for genotyping hundreds of individuals using millions of markers. However, this challenges bioinformatic procedures that must overcome possible artifacts such as the bias generated by polymerase chain reaction duplicates and sequencing errors. Genotyping errors lead to data that deviate from what is expected from regular meiosis.

Changes in the Lipid Metabolism of the Muscle in Bulls When Using Different Feeding Strategies during the Growing and Finishing Phases.

The objective was to evaluate the supplementation strategy's effect on beef cattle during the growing phase and two systems during the finishing phase. One hundred and twenty young bulls were randomly divided in a 2 × 2 factorial design to receive either mineral (ad libitum) or protein + energy (3 g/kg body weight (BW)/day) during the growing phase and pasture plus concentrate supplementation (20 g/kg BW/day) or feedlot (25:75% corn silage:concentrate) during the finishing phase. Feedlot-fed bulls had meat (-LT) with a higher content of lipids and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and a greater upregulation of and than animals that fed on pasture ( < 0.

Hydrolysis effects on the water uptake of starch-g-glycidyl methacrylate (St)/dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm)-based hydrogels for potential agricultural purposes.

This work assessed the effect of different hydrolysis periods on the properties of hydrogels based on 75 % w w of N,N'-dimethyl acrylamide (DMAAm) and 25 % w w of starch-g-(glycidyl methacrylate) (St). FTIR results confirmed the conversion of ester groups into carboxylic acids and carboxylates, besides forming a keto-enol tautomer due to the peeling reaction of starch. For DMAAm, the hydrolysis mostly converted amide into carboxylate groups.

Early Weaning Possibly Increases the Activity of Lipogenic and Adipogenic Pathways in Intramuscular Adipose Tissue of Nellore Calves.

This study aimed to evaluate by wide-expression profile analysis how early weaning at 120 days can alter the skeletal muscle metabolism of calves supplemented with a concentrated diet until the growth phase. muscle samples were obtained by biopsy from two groups of calves, early weaned (EW; n = 8) and conventionally weaned (CW; n = 8) at two different times (120 days of age-T1 [EW] and 205 days of age-T2 [CW]). Next, differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment of metabolic pathways and biological processes were performed.

Genomic inbreeding estimation, runs of homozygosity, and heterozygosity-enriched regions uncover signals of selection in the Quarter Horse racing line.

With the advent of genomics, significant progress has been made in the genetic improvement of livestock species, particularly through increased accuracy in predicting breeding values for selecting superior animals and the possibility of performing a high-resolution genetic scan throughout the genome of an individual. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the individual genomic inbreeding coefficient based on runs of homozygosity (F ), to identify and characterize runs of homozygosity and heterozygosity (ROH and ROHet, respectively; length and distribution) throughout the genome, and to map selection signatures in relevant chromosomal regions in the Quarter Horse racing line. A total of 336 animals registered with the Brazilian Association of Quarter Horse Breeders (ABQM) were genotyped.

Use of Biometric Images to Predict Body Weight and Hot Carcass Weight of Nellore Cattle.

The objective of this study was to evaluate different methods of predicting body weight (BW) and hot carcass weight (HCW) from biometric measurements obtained through three-dimensional images of Nellore cattle. We collected BW and HCW of 1350 male Nellore cattle (bulls and steers) from four different experiments. Three-dimensional images of each animal were obtained using the Kinect model 1473 sensor (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, USA).

Emission factors for a biofuel impacted fleet in South America's largest metropolitan area.

The Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) is among the largest urban areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Vehicular emissions are of great concern in metropolitan areas and MASP is unique due to the use of biofuels on a large scale (sugarcane ethanol and biodiesel). In this work, tunnel measurements were employed to assess vehicle emissions and to calculate emission factors (EFs) for heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles (HDVs and LDVs).

Multi-robot cooperation for lunar resource utilization.

This paper presents a cooperative, multi-robot solution for searching, excavating, and transporting mineral resources on the Moon. Our work was developed in the context of the Space Robotics Challenge Phase 2 (SRCP2), which was part of the NASA Centennial Challenges and was motivated by the current NASA Artemis program, a flagship initiative that intends to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. In the SRCP2 a group of simulated mobile robots was tasked with reporting volatile locations within a realistic lunar simulation environment, and excavating and transporting these resources to target locations in such an environment.

Carcasses Suspended by the Pelvic Bone Require a Shorter Aging Time to Meet Consumer Expectations Regarding Meat Quality.

This study evaluated the effects of hanging the carcass by the Achilles tendon (AS) versus pelvic suspension (PS) on meat quality traits. carcasses of two distinct biological types/sex categories comprised 10 young Brangus heifers and 10 Nellore bulls which were finished in a feedlot. Half-carcasses of each biological type/sex category were randomly hung using Achilles suspension ( = 20, AS) or pelvic suspension ( = 20, PS) for 48 h.

Post-mortem muscle proteome of crossbred bulls and steers: Relationships with carcass and meat quality.

This study investigated the skeletal muscle proteome of crossbred bulls and steers with the aim of explaining the differences in carcass and meat quality traits. Therefore, 640 post-weaning Angus-Nellore calves were fed a high-energy diet for a period of 180 days. In the feedlot trial, comparisons of steers (n = 320) and bulls (n = 320) showed lower (P < 0.

Effect of Cow-Calf Supplementation on Gene Expression, Processes, and Pathways Related to Adipogenesis and Lipogenesis in Muscle of F1 Angus × Nellore Cattle at Weaning.

The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes, biological processes, and metabolic pathways related to adipogenesis and lipogenesis in calves receiving different diets during the cow-calf phase. Forty-eight uncastrated F1 Angus × Nellore males were randomly assigned to two treatments from thirty days of age to weaning: no creep feeding (G1) or creep feeding (G2). The creep feed offered contained ground corn (44.

A comparative study of starch-g-(glycidyl methacrylate)/synthetic polymer-based hydrogels.

Chemical modification reactions and blending formation are two alternatives used to improve the properties of starch-based materials. This work used both approaches to evaluate how they would affect the properties of hydrogels. The hydrogels were based on corn starch (St), modified with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA; starch-g-GMA; St), and blended with N,N'-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm; StDMAAm) or sodium acrylate (SA; StSA).

Experience in managing action research on hepatitis C survey in the prison community.

We aimed to report the experience in managing action research on hepatitis C investigation in the prison community in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The proposal was developed from March 2019 to March 2020, reaching 240 people to contain the spread of the disease through a survey, testing, and monitoring of positive cases. We adopted intersectoral action with articulation between Universities, Medical Society, Teaching Hospital, and State Secretariat for Justice and Public Security.

Proteomics Unveils Post-Mortem Changes in Beef Muscle Proteins and Provides Insight into Variations in Meat Quality Traits of Crossbred Young Steers and Heifers Raised in Feedlot.

Proteomics has been widely used to study muscle biology and meat quality traits from different species including beef. Beef proteomics studies allow a better understanding of the biological processes related to meat quality trait determination. This study aimed to decipher by means of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), mass spectrometry and bioinformatics the changes in post-mortem muscle with a focus on proteins differentially expressed in the Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of immunocastrated young heifers and steers.

Coordination of photosynthetic traits across soil and climate gradients.

"Least-cost theory" posits that C plants should balance rates of photosynthetic water loss and carboxylation in relation to the relative acquisition and maintenance costs of resources required for these activities. Here we investigated the dependency of photosynthetic traits on climate and soil properties using a new Australia-wide trait dataset spanning 528 species from 67 sites. We tested the hypotheses that plants on relatively cold or dry sites, or on relatively more fertile sites, would typically operate at greater CO drawdown (lower ratio of leaf internal to ambient CO , C :C ) during light-saturated photosynthesis, and at higher leaf N per area (N ) and higher carboxylation capacity (V ) for a given rate of stomatal conductance to water vapour, g .

Effectiveness of a SNAPPS in psychiatric residents assessed using objective structured teaching encounters: a case-control study.

Background: Residents play the role of teachers in almost one-quarter of their activities in residency programs.

Objective: To evaluate whether a 45-minute class using summarize, narrow, analyze, probe, plan, and select (SNAPPS) could improve psychiatry residents' case discussion skills in diverse practical learning settings.

Design And Setting: This case-control, randomized, blinded study was conducted in a psychiatry hospital at Fortaleza-Ceará.

Particulate matter fingerprints in biofuel impacted tunnels in South America's largest metropolitan area.

This study characterized the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) from light- (LDV) and heavy-duty (HDV) vehicles based on two traffic tunnel samplings carried out in the megacity of São Paulo (Brazil), which has >7 million vehicles and intense biofuel use. The samples were collected with high-volume samplers and analyzed using chemical characterization techniques (ion and gas chromatography, thermal-optical analysis, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy). Chemical source profiles (%) were calculated based on the measurements performed inside and outside the tunnels.