Osteoarthritis (OA) is a whole-joint disease primarily characterized by the deterioration of hyaline cartilage. Current treatments include microfracture and chondrocyte implantation as early surgical ...strategies that can be combined with scaffolds to repair osteochondral lesions; however, intra-articular (IA) injections or implantations of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are new approaches that have presented encouraging therapeutic results in animal models and humans. We critically reviewed clinical trials with MSC therapies for OA, focusing on their effectiveness, quality, and outcomes in the regeneration of articular cartilage. Several sources of autologous or allogeneic MSCs were used in the clinical trials. Minor adverse events were generally reported, indicating that IA applications of MSCs are potentially safe. The evaluation of articular cartilage regeneration in human clinical trials is challenging, particularly in the inflammatory environment of osteoarthritic joints. Our findings indicate that IA injections of MSCs are efficacious in the treatment of OA and the regeneration of cartilage, but that they may be insufficient for the full repair of articular cartilage defects. The possible interference of clinical and quality variables in the outcomes suggests that robust clinical trials are still necessary for generating reliable evidence with which to support these treatments. We suggest that the administration of just-sufficient doses of viable cells in appropriate regimens is critical to achieve effective and durable effects. In terms of future perspectives, genetic modification, complex products with extracellular vesicles derived from MSCs, cell encapsulation in hydrogels, and 3D bioprinted tissue engineering are promising approaches with which to improve MSC therapies for OA.
The gene responsible for coding the leptin hormone has been associated with productive and reproductive traits in cattle. In dairy cattle, different polymorphisms found in the leptin gene have been ...associated with several traits of economic interest, such as energy balance, milk yield and composition, live weight, fertility and dry matter consumption. The aim of this study was to detect genetic variability in the leptin gene of buffaloes and to test possible associations with milk yield, fat and protein percentages, age at first calving and first calving interval. Three genotypes (AA, AG and GG) were identified by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism, which presented genotypic frequencies of 0.30, 0.54 and 0.16, respectively. The allele frequencies were 0.57 for the A allele and 0.43 for the G allele. No significant effects were found in the present study, but there is an indicative that leptin gene affects lipid metabolism.
The aim of this study was to identify molecular markers to be applied to marker-assisted selection. Three SNPs of the
FASN
gene were studied. PCR–RFLP was used for genotyping. The SNPs g.17924A>G, ...g.17860C>T and g.15603A>G all in the
FASN
gene were genotyped using the enzymes
MscI
,
DdeI
and
Hae III
, respectively. The animals were raised in extensive systems and belong to three lines selected for growth as part of the Selection Program of Zebu and Caracu Breeds, São Paulo, Brazil. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between selection lines using the Genepop 3.4. Associations between polymorphisms and the traits studied were evaluated using the PROC MIXED procedure of the SAS/STAT 9.1.3. The G and C alleles were the most frequent alleles of the g.15603A>G and g.17860C>T loci, respectively. The g.17924A>G locus showed no polymorphism in the population studied. Allele and genotype frequencies differed significantly between the NeT line and the NeC and NeS lines. The g.15603A>G polymorphism tended to exert an additive effect on rump fat thickness and male yearling height. For g.17860C>T, an additive effect on male yearling height was observed. Genotype combination analysis revealed a significant effect on loin eye area. Although this study provided evidence of an association between the
FASN
gene and some traits, more detailed analyses are needed to obtain more efficient molecular markers.
The aim of this paper was to validate the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), presenting evidence of its reliability and construct and criterion-related validity. ...A large Brazilian sample (2,180 participants), from five different populations (undergraduate and high school students, general population, elementary school teachers, and physicians), was considered. The results confirmed the single factorial structure and reliability (0.77 < Cronbach's α < 0.88, mean α = 0.81) of the SWLS. Supporting its criterion-related validity, the SWLS correlated positively with positive affect and negatively with both negative affect and psychological distress across all five samples. The findings indicate that the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the SWLS is a valid instrument to use with diverse Brazilian samples.
The germination and post-seminal development of Arecaceae are notably complex due to the microscopic dimensions of the embryonic axis, the occurrence of dormancy, and the diversity of reserve ...compounds. In-depth information on this subject is still limited, especially in terms of the basal sub-family Calamoideae.
Mauritiella armata
is widely distributed in the Amazon region and is considered a key species in flooded ecosystems (
veredas
) in the Cerrado biome. We sought to describe histogenesis and reserve compound dynamics during the germination of
M. armata
, as well as the changes in incubated seeds over time. Seeds with their operculum removed (the structure that limits embryonic growth) were evaluated during germination using standard methods of histology, histochemistry, and electron microscopy. Evaluations were also performed on intact seeds incubated for 180 days. The embryos show characteristics associated with recalcitrant seeds of Arecaceae: a high water content (>80%), differentiated vessel elements, and reduced lipid reserves. Both the embryo and endosperm store abundant reserves of proteins, neutral carbohydrates, and pectins. The completion of germination involves cell divisions and expansions in specific regions of the embryo, in addition to the mobilization of embryonic and endospermic reserves through symplastic and apoplastic flows. Intact seeds show dormancy (not germinating for 180 days), but exhibit continuous development associated with cell growth, differentiation, and reserve mobilization. The anatomical and histochemical characters of
M. armata
seeds indicate an association between recalcitrance and dormancy related to the species’ adaptation to flooded environments.
In full-arch rehabilitation with implant-supported fixed prostheses, using monolithic zirconia seems to have several advantages regarding function and esthetics. However, the current scientific ...evidence is still limited. Thus, the aim of this investigation was to systematically review the literature on monolithic zirconia restorations for full-arch rehabilitation, particularly pursuing the survival rate and mechanical and biological complications. This study’s protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022301799). The primary literature search was performed in PubMed/MedLine and Web of Science, and a manual search was performed (checking cross-references). The focused question was, “In an adult population with one or both edentulous arches (P), the oral rehabilitation with implant-supported fixed-monolithic zirconia (full arch) (I), compared with oral rehabilitation using fixed-metal-ceramic prosthesis on implants (C), did show superior clinical results (O) in a minimum follow-up of 1 year (T)?” Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined. Joana Briggs Institute tools were used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Meta-analysis was performed for the variable survival rate (%), applying the specific continuous moderator (follow-up). Data heterogeneity (I2) was assessed. From the initial search, 327 references were obtained. After eliminating duplicates and applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria by reading the titles, abstracts, and full text, seven articles were included. All included articles were observational longitudinal retrospective studies, with a number of prostheses between 7 and 2039. The mean age was 60 years, and the mean follow-up was 49.7 months. They had mandibular, maxillary, or bimaxillary rehabilitations, always with screw-retained retention, with an average survival rate of 97.23%. The number of implants ranged between four and eight. The quality of the articles was over 70%, and the heterogeneity was considered low (I2 = 28.64%). Within a mean follow-up of around four years, full-arch implant-supported monolithic zirconia rehabilitations had a high survival rate and minimal complications.
The shear walls are essential seismic elements to increase buildings bearing capacity against earthquakes. In mid- and high-rise buildings, shear walls are subjected to predominant bending ...deformation under earthquakes, and the responses in upper floors increase. In order to utilize the shear walls appropriately, previous studies proposed to install shear walls until a certain building level, referred to as the curtailed wall. However, the upper frame structure without shear walls suffered significant deformation during earthquakes compared to the lower stories. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present structural configuration for buildings with curtailed shear walls by installing buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) in the upper frame to reduce its deformation under earthquakes. Firstly, the analysis accuracy was verified by simulating the experimental results of four sets of scaled frames with curtailed walls tested on a shaking table. Then, ten- and twenty-story plane frames with the different heights of curtailed walls were created, and their nonlinear responses to earthquake ground motions were evaluated. The genetic algorithm was applied to establish the optimum BRB locations to satisfy the design criteria. It was proved that using BRBs at specific locations in upper frames can significantly improve the seismic response of buildings with curtailed walls.
(1) Introduction: Apart from the polishing method, conventional or mechanized, the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) is the most common metric to evaluate the surface roughness of denture base acrylic ...resins. An overview of the constraints related to this roughness parameter is highlighted in this study. This research introduces new parameters for accessing a functional analysis of surface roughness. (2) Materials and Methods: Five samples of CAD/CAM 3D-printed acrylic resins were prepared. Two polishing techniques, manual and mechanical, were applied. Surface roughness parameters were extracted from a profilometer reading: arithmetic mean height (Ra and Pa), skewness (Rsk and Psk), and kurtosis (Rku and Pku). (3) Results: Significant differences (p < 0.001) were found in the Ra distribution among the study samples, in contrast with the lack of significance in Pa values. Surface roughness parameters revealed an increased coefficient of variance (CV) value due to mechanized polishing across the specimens analyzed. Skewness and kurtosis indicate a more pronounced distribution with the manual polishing technique. (4) Conclusion: This preliminary study exhibits the influence of different polishing protocols on surface roughness parameters. The primary profile, skewness, and kurtosis should be assessed for the surface characterization of acrylic resins.
Resumo. Em investigações criminais, a entomologia forense torna-se uma importante ferramenta em uma das suas principais aplicações que são os cálculos de estimativa de intervalo pós-morte (IPM), onde ...os dípteros da família Calliphoridae constituem uma das principais famílias de interesse forense. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a ocorrência das espécies desta família durante o processo de decomposição de carcaças suínas exposta durante as quatro estações do ano em um fragmento de Mata Atlântica na cidade do Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. Durante o experimento, os insetos adultos foram capturados em armadilhas específicas, e os imaturos coletados sobre a carcaça e criados para identificação pós-emergência. Além disso, verificamos a correlação entre as espécies que visitam a carcaça com aquelas que se desenvolvem na mesma, relacionando-a as fases da decomposição. Foram coletados 29136 adultos e do total de imaturos coletados apenas 1278 emergiram no laboratório. Os adultos capturados pertenciam às seguintes espécies: Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann), Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann), Mesembrinella bellardiana (Aldrich), Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) e Chloroprocta idiodea (Robineau-Desvoidy). Os imaturos coletados e criados no laboratório, após a emergência, foram identificados como: C. macellaria, C. megacephala, C. albiceps, C. putoria, H. segmentaria e L. eximia. Constatou-se que há diferenças na abundância entre as espécies durante o experimento, sendo a espécie C. albiceps a mais prevalente. Esse trabalho contribuiu com informações essenciais para a implementação deste tipo de perícia na rotina do Laboratório de Entomologia Forense do DPT-BA.Temporal analysis of Calliphoridae (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha) in the process of decomposition in carcasses of swine (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) in Salvador, Bahia, BrazilAbstract. In criminal investigations, Forensic Entomology becomes an important tool for main applications, which are estimates of postmortem interval (IPM), where Diptera of the Calliphoridae family constitute one of the main families of forensic interest. The present work had as objective to verify the occurrence of the species of this family during the decomposition process of swine carcasses exposed during the four seasons of the year in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. During the experiment, adult insects were captured in specific traps, and immature stages collected on the carcass created until the adult emergency for identification. In addition, we verified the correlation between the species that visit the carcass with those that develop in the same, related to the phases of the decomposition. A total of 29136 adults were collected and of the total number of immatures collected, only 1278 emerged in the laboratory. The captured adults belonged to the following species: Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann), Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann), Mesembrinella bellardiana (Aldrich), Hemilucilia segmentaria (Fabricius) and Chloroprocta idiodea (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Robineau-Desvoidy). The immatures collected and created in the laboratory after the emergency were identified as: C. macellaria, C. megacephala, C. albiceps, C. putoria, H. segmentaria and L. eximia. It was verified that there are differences in the abundance between the species during the experiment, being the species C. albiceps the most prevalent. This work contributed with essential information for the implementation of this type of expertise in the routine of the Forensic Entomology Laboratory, DPT-BA.
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