Animal models of ovariectomy in rats demonstrate characteristics similar to early stage osteoarthritis

Purpose The aim of our study is to analyze the model of ovariectomy (OVX) in rats reproduced histological changes of osteoarthritis (OA). Methods For the development of the research, 12 Wistar rats were used, divided into 2 equal groups: Control Group - C (n = 6) and Osteoarthritis Group - OA (n = 6). After the 6-month experimental period, all rats were sacrificed and, subsequently, the entire knee joint complex was removed without disarticulation. For the histological evaluation of the tissue, the recommendations of the International Society for Research in OA (OARSI) were used. For data processing, each evaluation was statistically treated in both groups, comparing data from group C with the group OA. Results: Through the histological evaluation of OARSI, the evolution of OA in various tissues of the joint was evaluated. Although the OA group showed noticeable differences from group C, they were not as significant. Thus, only statistically significant favors were presented in the loss of the cartilaginous matrix (OA and C, p = 0.51), considering that the changes in the loss of ECM occurred only at the depth of 0% (superficial region), but at the depth of 50% (intermediate region) and 100% depth (deep region) did not exist. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the OVX model is a good model to discuss OA, showing histological changes similar to those found in OA, the model demonstrated to have a progressive and slow characteristic since after the OARSI evaluations, prominent evidence was found in the initial manifestations of OA.

DO SEEDS OF Anadenanthera macrocarpa AND Pityrocarpa moniliformis FORMED IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OF THE FRUIT HAVE SIMILAR PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY?

Trees of the Fabaceae family can produce seeds with contrasting size and germinative performance depending on the region where they were formed in the fruit. Such differences reduce the physiological quality of the seed lot. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds formed in different seminal nucleus of the fruits of Anadenanthera macrocarpa and Pityrocarpa moniliformis and their implications for the final composition of the seed lot. The biometric characterization of the fruits was performed with four quantitative descriptors (length, width, thickness, and number of seeds per fruit). Then, seeds formed in seminal nucleus of the proximal, intermediate, and distal regions of the fruit were measured (length, width, and thickness) and evaluated using germination and vigor tests (germination speed, length, and dry weight of seedlings). Seeds from these species have biometric differences depending on their origin in the fruit, in which those formed in the seminal nucleus of the intermediate region of the fruit are larger than the other ones. The origin of the seeds of A. macrocarpa and P. moniliformis formed in different seminal nucleus of the fruit do not show differences in physiological quality. Therefore, the sorting of seeds originated in different regions of the fruit does not benefit the final quality of the seed lots of these species.

Functional study of distinct domains of dux in improving mouse SCNT embryonic development

2-cell-like (2C-like) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are a small group of ESCs that spontaneously express zygotic genomic activation (ZGA) genes and repeats, such as Zscan4 and MERVL, and are specifically expressed in 2-cell-stage mouse embryos. Although numerous types of treatment and agents elevate the transition of ESCs to 2C-like ESCs, Dux serves as a critical factor in this transition by increasing the expression of Zscan4 and MERVL directly. However, the loss of Dux did not impair the birth of mice, suggesting that Dux may not be the primary transitioning factor in fertilized embryos. It has been reported that for 2-cell embryos derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and whose expression of ZGA genes and repeats was aberrant, Dux improved the reprogramming efficiency by correcting aberrant H3K9ac modification via its C-terminal domain. We confirmed that overexpression of full-length Dux mRNA in SCNT embryos improved the efficiency of preimplantation development (62.16% vs. 41.26% with respect to controls) and also increased the expression of Zscan4 and MERVL. Furthermore, we found that the N-terminal double homeodomains of Dux were indispensable for Dux localization and function. The intermediate region was essential for MERVL and Zscan4 activation, and the C-terminal domain was important for elevating level of H3K27ac. Mutant Dux mRNA containing N-terminal double homeodomains with the intermediate region or the C-terminal domain also improved the preimplantation development of SCNT embryos. This is the first report focusing on distinguishing functional domains of Dux in embryos derived from SCNT.

Magnetic Reversal in Wiegand Wires Evaluated by First-Order Reversal Curves

The magnetic structure of Wiegand wires cannot be evaluated using conventional magnetization hysteresis curves. We analyzed the magnetization reversal of a Wiegand wire by measuring the first-order reversal curves (FORCs). A FeCoV Wiegand wire with a magnetically soft outer layer and a hard magnetic core was used in this study. The magnetization reversal of the soft and hard regions in the wire was identified in the FORC diagrams. The magnetization reversal of the dominantly irreversible process of the soft layer and the magnetic intermediate region between the soft and hard regions was clarified.

Trust-based partner switching among partitioned regions promotes cooperation in public goods game

In this paper, the coevolution mechanism of trust-based partner switching among partitioned regions on an adaptive network is studied. We investigate a low-information approach to building trust and cooperation in public goods games. Unlike reputation, trust scores are only given to players by those with whom they have a relationship in the game, depending on the game they play together. A player’s trust score for a certain neighbor is given and known by that player only. Players can adjust their connections to neighbors with low trust scores by switching their partners to other players. When switching partners, players divide other nodes in the network into three regions: immediate neighbors as the known region, indirectly connected second-order neighbors as the intermediate region, and other nodes as the unknown region. Such choices and compartmentalization often occur in global and regional economies. Our results show that preference for switching to partners in the intermediate region is not conducive to spreading cooperation, while random selection has the disadvantage of protecting the cooperator. However, selecting new partners in the remaining two regions based on the average trust score of the known region performs well in both protecting partners and finding potential cooperators. Meanwhile, by analyzing the parameters, we find that the influence of vigilance increasing against unsatisfactory behavior on evolution direction depends on the level of cooperation reward.

Knitting wormholes by entanglement in supergravity

We construct a single-boundary wormhole geometry in type IIB supergravity by perturbing two stacks of N extremal D3-branes in the decoupling limit. The solution interpolates from a two-sided planar AdS-Schwarzschild geometry in the interior, through a harmonic two-center solution in the intermediate region, to an asymptotic AdS space. The construction involves a CPT twist in the gluing of the wormhole to the exterior throats that gives a global monodromy to some coordinates, while preserving orientability. The geometry has a dual interpretation in $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 4 SU(2N) Super Yang-Mills theory in terms of a Higgsed SU(2N) → S(U(N) × U(N)) theory in which $$ \mathcal{O} $$ O (N2) degrees of freedom in each SU(N) sector are entangled in an approximate thermofield double state at a temperature much colder than the Higgs scale. We argue that the solution can be made long-lived by appropriate choice of parameters, and comment on mechanisms for generating traversability. We also describe a construction of a double wormhole between two universes.

Asymptotics of the Charlier polynomials via difference equation methods

We derive uniform and non-uniform asymptotics of the Charlier polynomials by using difference equation methods alone. The Charlier polynomials are special in that they do not fit into the framework of the turning point theory, despite the fact that they are crucial in the Askey scheme. In this paper, asymptotic approximations are obtained, respectively, in the outside region, an intermediate region, and near the turning points. In particular, we obtain uniform asymptotic approximation at a pair of coalescing turning points with the aid of a local transformation. We also give a uniform approximation at the origin by applying the method of dominant balance and several matching techniques.

Loss of intermediate regions of perpendicular body axes contributed to miniaturization of tardigrades

Tardigrades have a miniaturized body plan. Miniaturization in tardigrades is associated with the loss of several organ systems and an intermediate region of their anteroposterior (AP) axis. However, how miniaturization has affected tardigrade legs is unclear. In arthropods and in onychophorans, the leg gap genes are expressed in regionalized proximodistal (PD) patterns in the legs. Functional studies indicate that these genes regulate growth in their respective expression domains and establish PD identities, partly through mutually antagonistic regulatory interactions. Here, we investigated the expression patterns of tardigrade orthologs of the leg gap genes. Rather than being restricted to a proximal leg region, as in arthropods and onychophorans, we detected coexpression of orthologues of homothorax and extradenticle broadly across the legs of the first three trunk segments in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris . We could not identify a dachshund orthologue in tardigrade genomes, a gene that is expressed in an intermediate region of developing legs in arthropods and onychophorans, suggesting that this gene was lost in the tardigrade lineage. We detected Distal-less expression broadly across all developing leg buds in H. exemplaris embryos, unlike in arthropods and onychophorans, in which it exhibits a distally restricted expression domain. The broad expression patterns of the remaining leg gap genes in H. exemplaris legs may reflect the loss of dachshund and the accompanying loss of an intermediate region of the legs in the tardigrade lineage. We propose that the loss of intermediate regions of both the AP and PD body axes contributed to miniaturization of Tardigrada.

Nuclear shape coexistence in 193Hg

Excited states of the 193Hg nucleus have been investigated by the reaction 150Nd(48Ca,5n) at a beam energy of 213 MeV. The level scheme has been extended up to 10.7 MeV. Three different level pattern regions have been identified. A lower region with rotational bands, an intermediate region with single-particle character and an upper region with sequences of dipole transitions. The nature and the corresponding nuclear shape in these regions are discussed and compared with similar phenomena in the neighbouring nuclei.