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    Effects of different glucocorticoids on molecular pathways regulating muscle trophism in rats and the effect of EPA / DHA on muscle atrophy induced by dexamethasone

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    Várias condições podem estar relacionadas com a atrofia muscular, tais como inatividade, envelhecimento, septicemia, diabetes, câncer e uso de glicocorticoides. Em tentativa prévia de prevenir tal condição catabólica secundário ao uso de glicocorticoide, através da suplementação de ômega-3 (N-3), observamos um agravamento da atrofia muscular, afetando mais tipos de fibras musculares, usualmente poupadas pelo glicocorticoide, fibras tipo 1 por exemplo. Entretanto, não foi possível determinar quais as propriedades dessa interação. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi de avaliar a ação do Ômega-3 associada a dexametasona e de diferentes glicocorticoides em dose equipotente sobre o peso corporal; área de secção transversa muscular; perfil de ácidos graxos; expressão gênica de fatores de transcrição musculares e atrogenes (Atrogina 1 e MuRF-1); expressão proteica de componentes das vias do IGF-1/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK e Miostatina/Smad2/3; e expressão de receptores de glicocorticoides na musculatura esquelética de ratos. Metodologia: Ratos Wistar suplementados ou não com ômega-3 (100mg/kg/dia de EPA) por 40 dias receberam dexametasona (DX) subcutânea (2,5 e 1,25mg/kg/dia) nos últimos 10 dias de suplementação. Para estudo dos demais glicocorticoides, ratos sem suplementação receberam deflazacorte (DC), metilprednisolona (MP) em dose/volume equipotente ao de dexametasona (DC 10 e 20mg/kg/dia e MP6,7 e 13,3mg/kg/dia) por 10 dias. Constituindo 10 grupos: CT, N-3, DX1,25, DX2,5, DX1,25+N-3, DX2,5+N-3, MP6, MP13, DC10 e DC20. Através de estudo histológico, imuno-histoquímico, PCR em tempo real e Western blotting, foram avaliados a área transversa dos diferentes tipos de fibras musculares; a expressão de receptor de glicocorticoide na fibra muscular; a expressão gênica dos atrogenes e fatores de transcrição; expressão de proteínas das vias IGF-1, Miostatina e MEK/ERK. Resultados: A administração de N-3 influenciou a atrofia por DX causando maior atrofia em fibras do tipo 1 e 2A, aumento na expressão proteica de FoxO3a total, P-Smad3, LC3-II e gênica (mRNA) de REDD-1, Atrogina-1/MAFbx. De forma isolada o ômega-3 reduziu a expressão de P-FoxO3a, PGC1alfa, a quantidade de ácido araquidônico e a expressão de mRNA do IRS-1 com aumento na expressão de LC3-II. A comparação entre glicocorticoides mostrou que a MP (13mg/kg/dia) acarretou maior impacto no peso corporal e muscular; o DC (10mg/kg/dia) causou menor atrofia em fibras 2B em relação aos demais glicocorticoides. A DX causou maior impacto sobre o Akt total em comparação com os demais glicocorticoides, em P-Akt o grupo DX1,25 teve menor expressão em relação a outros glicocorticoides em dose equipotente. Todos os glicocorticoides afetaram a expressão de P-FOXO3a. Na expressão de ERK1/2 e P-ERK1/2, MP6 foi o grupo com maior prejuízo à fosforilação em relação aos demais em dose equipotente. Já na avaliação da via Miostatina/Smad2/3 os grupos MP 6, MP13 e DC20 mostraram maior expressão de Smad2/3 total e P-Smad3. A expressão gênica de REDD-1 e MYOD foi aumentada nos grupos MP6 e MP13 em relação aos demais grupos; REDD2 no grupo DC20 foi menor em relação ao grupo DX2,5. A expressão de Miostatina foi menor nos grupos DX2,5 e DC20, sendo o DC a droga com menor impacto sobre os atrogenes MuRF-1 e Atrogina-1. DX1,25 e DX2,5 causaram menor expressão de IRS-1 entre os grupos de glicocorticoides. Conclusões: Ômega-3 pode aumentar a atrofia muscular causada por DX em fibras 1 e 2A, possivelmente relacionado com aumento da expressão de FoxO3a, REDD-1 e Atrogina-1, diminuição na expressão de PGC1alfa e P-FoxO3a, nas quantidades de ácido araquidônico com aumento da atividade lisossomal. Comparando diferentes glicocorticoides, a MP tende a produzir maior impacto nos pesos corporal e muscular, o DC é menos prejudicial as fibras do tipo 2B, entretanto, afeta predominantemente fibras do tipo 1, da mesma forma que a DX na dosagem de 1,25mg/kg/dia. A DX tende a afetar mais a expressão de Akt total e fosforilado que os demais glicocorticoides. A MP afeta mais a via Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK e expressão de REDD-1 em relação aos demais glicocorticoides, e o DC e MP mostram maior expressão de Smad2/3 total e fosforilada em relação ao DX após 10 dias de administraçãoSeveral conditions may be related to muscle atrophy, such as inactivity, aging, septicemia, diabetes, cancer and use of glucocorticoids. In a previous attempt to prevent such glucocorticoid catabolic condition, through the supplementation of omega-3 (N-3), we observed a worsening of muscular atrophy, affecting more types of muscle fibers, usually spared by glucocorticoid, type 1 fibers for example. However, it was not possible to determine the properties of this interaction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the action of omega-3 associated with dexamethasone and different glucocorticoids in equipotent dose on body weight; muscle cross-sectional area; fatty acid profile; gene expression of muscle transcription factors and atrogenes (Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1); protein expression of IGF-1/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and Myostatin/Smad2/3 pathways components; and expression of glucocorticoid receptors in the skeletal musculature of rats. Methods: Wistar rats given orally or not with omega-3 (100mg/kg/day of EPA) for 40 days received subcutaneous dexamethasone (DX) (2.5 or 1.25mg/kg/day) during the last 10 days of supplementation. For the other glucocorticoids, rats without supplementation received deflazacorte (DC) or methylprednisolone (MP) in dose/volume equivalent to that of dexamethasone (DC 10 or 20mg/kg/day and MP6.7 or 13.3mg/kg/day) for 10 days. Comprising 10 groups: CT, N-3, DX1.25, DX2.5, DX1.25 + N-3, DX2.5 + N-3, MP6, MP13, DC10 and DC20. Through histological, immunohistochemical, real-time PCR and Western blotting, we evaluated the transverse area of the different muscle fibers; the expression of glucocorticoid receptor; the gene expression of atrogenes and transcription factors; protein expression of the IGF-1, Myostatin and MEK/ERK pathways. Results: N-3 administration influenced DEXA atrophy causing increased atrophy in type 1 and 2A fibers, increased protein expression of total FoxO3a, P-Smad3, LC3-II, and REDD-1 gene (mRNA), Atrogin-1/MAFbx isolated omega-3 reduced the expression of P-FoxO3a, PGC1alpha, the amount of arachidonic acid and the expression of IRS-1 mRNA with increased expression of LC3-II. The comparison between glucocorticoids showed that MP13 had a greater impact on body and muscle weight; the DC10 caused less atrophy in 2B fibers in relation to the other glucocorticoids. DX, caused greater impact on total Akt compared to the other glucocorticoids, in P-Akt the DX1,25 group had lower expression to other equipotent dose glucocorticoids. All glucocorticoids affect the expression of P-FOXO3a. In the of ERK1/2 and P-ERK1/2 protein expression, the MP6 was the group with the greatest damage to the phosphorylation in relation to the others in equipotent dose. In the evaluation of the Myostatin/Smad2/3 pathway MP 6, MP13 and DC20 showed higher expression of total Smad2/3 and P-Smad3. The gene expression of REDD-1 and MYOD was increased in the MP6 and MP13 groups compared to the other groups, REDD2 in the DC20 group was lower in relation to the DX2.5 group. Myostatin expression was lower in the DX2.5 and DC20 groups, with DC being the drug with less impact on atrogenes MuRF-1 and Atrogin-1. DX1.25 and DX2.5 caused lower IRS-1 expression among the glucocorticoid groups. Conclusions: Omega-3 may increase muscle atrophy caused by DX in fibers 1 and 2A, possibly related to increased expression of FoxO3a, REDD-1 and Atrogin-1, decreased expression of PGC1alpha and P-FoxO3a, in the amounts of acid arachidonic with increased lysosomal activity. Comparing different glucocorticoids, MP tends to produce a greater impact on body and muscular weights, DC is less harmful to type 2B fibers, however, it predominantly affects type 1 fibers, in the same way as DX in the dosage of 1.25mg/kg/day. DX tends to affect total and phosphorylated Akt expression more than other glucocorticoids. MP affects more the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and REDD-1 expression in relation to the other glucocorticoids, and DC and MP show a higher expression of total and phosphorylated Smad2/3 compared to DX after 10 days of administratio

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more sophisticated methods

    Author Index

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    Effects of omega-3 fatty acid in preventing dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy

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    Várias condições podem estar associadas com a atrofia muscular, tais como inatividade, envelhecimento, septicemia, diabetes, câncer e uso de glicocorticoides. Todas estas condições levam a atrofia muscular através de mecanismos que incluem aumento da degradação proteica e/ou redução na síntese proteica, envolvendo pelo menos cinco sistemas: lisossomal, da calpaína, das caspases, metaloproteinases e o sistema ubiquitina-proteasoma (SUP). Glicocorticoides, tais como a dexametasona, acarretam atrofia muscular atuando em quase todos esses sistemas, com significante ativação do SUP e lisossomal, afetando uma importante via de trofismo muscular, a via do IGF-1/PI-3K/Akt/mTOR. Ácidos graxos poli-insaturados, como o Ômega-3 (ômega-3), têm sido utilizados de forma benéfica na atenuação da atrofia muscular que ocorre na septicemia e na caquexia associada ao câncer, no entanto, sua atuação sobre a atrofia muscular induzida por glicocorticoides ainda não foi avaliada. Objetivo: Avaliar se a suplementação do ácido graxo ômega-3 influenciaria o desenvolvimento da atrofia muscular induzida pela dexametasona em ratos. Metodologia: Vinte e quatro ratos Wistar suplementados e não suplementados com ômega-3 (40 dias) foram submetidos à administração de dexametasona subcutânea (5mg/Kg/dia) nos últimos 10 dias, formando assim quatro grupos: Controle (CT), dexametasona (DX), ômega3 e dexametasona+ômega3 (DX+ômega3). Através de estudo de comportamento motor, histológico, PCR em tempo real e Western Blotting foram avaliados respectivamente, o número de grandes e pequenos movimentos em campo aberto; a área de secção transversa das fibras musculares (fibras I, IIA e IIB); a expressão dos genes MyoD, Miogenina, MuRF-1, Atrogina-1 e Miostatina; e a expressão de proteínas relacionadas com a via do IGF-1/PI-3K/Akt/mTOR: Akt, GSK3beta, FOXO3a e mTOR, totais e fosforiladas. Resultados: A dexametasona produziu diminuição na quantidade de pequenos movimentos, atrofia muscular em fibras do tipo IIB e diminuição na expressão de P-Akt, P-GSK3ômega e P-FOXO3a/FOXO3a total. A suplementação com Ômega-3 não se mostrou eficaz na atenuação de tais alterações. Por outro lado, o Ômega-3 associado à dexametasona (grupo DX+3) induziu a maior expressão de atrogenes (MuRF-1 e atrogina-1) causando, adicionalmente, maior atrofia muscular em fibras do tipo I e IIA, além de menor expressão gênica de Miogenina. O Ômega-3 de forma isolada conduziu de forma significativa a maior expressão de Miostatina e MyoD, e de forma não significante elevou a expressão proteica de mTOR total e induziu menor ganho de peso corporal dos animais ao fim do estudo. Conclusão: A suplementação de Ômega-3 não foi capaz de atenuar as alterações comportamentais, atrofia muscular e perda de peso corporal causadas pela administração de dexametasona, levando por outro lado a maior atrofia das fibras musculares e aumento na expressão de atrogenes. Desta forma, este estudo sugere que suplementos alimentares usualmente considerados benéficos para saúde, tal como o ácido graxo Ômega-3, podem agir em interação com alguns medicamentos, como os glicocorticoides, potencializando seus efeitos colateraisMany conditions can be related to muscle atrophy, such as inactivity, aging, sepsis, diabetes, cancer, as well as, glucocorticoid treatment. All these conditions lead to muscle atrophy through mechanisms that include increase of protein degradation and/or decrease of protein synthesis involving at least five systems: lysossomal, calpain, caspases, metaloproteinases and ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone cause muscle atrophy acting in almost all of these systems, with a significant UPS activation and affecting an important pathway related to muscular trophism, IGF-1/PI-3k/Akt/mTOR pathway. Poly-unsaturated fatty acids, such as Omega-3 (omega-3), have been used beneficially to attenuation of muscle atrophy that occur in sepsis and cachexia related to cancer, however, its action in the glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy, has never been evaluated. Objective: Assess whether the omega-3 supplementation would influence the development of dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in rats. Methods: Twenty four Wistar rats supplemented and non-supplemented with omega-3 (40 days) were submitted to dexamethasone administration (5mg/kg/day) during the last 10 days, thus establishing 4 groups: control (CT), dexamethasone (DX), omega-3 and dexamethasone+omega-3 (DX+ omega-3). The amount of large and small movements in open field; muscle fiber cross sectional areas (I, IIA and IIB); MyoD, Myogenin, MuRF-1, Atrogin-1 and Myostatin gene expression; and protein expression of Akt, GSK3omega, FOXO3a and mTOR, total and phosphorylated forms were assessed, respectively, by: motor behavior testing, histological reactions, Real-time PCR and Western Blotting analysis. Results: Dexamethasone administration induced significant decrease of small motor movements, atrophy in type IIB muscle fibers and decrease of P-Akt, P-GSK3omega and P-FOXO3a/total FOXO3a expression. Omega-3 supplementation was not able to attenuate these changes. Instead, omega-3 associated to dexamethasone (DX+ omega-3 group) additionally induced higher muscle atrophy in type I, IIA muscle fibers, and reduced expression of Myogenin. The isolated use of Omega-3 led to a significant higher expression of Myostatin and MyoD, and a non-significant increase of total mTOR protein expression and less body weight gain at end of study. Conclusion: Supplementation of omega-3 was not able to attenuate motor behavioral changes, muscle atrophy and loss of body weight caused by dexamethasone administration, leading on the other hand to higher muscle fibers atrophy and increase in atrogenes expression. Therefore, this study suggests that food supplements, usually considered benefic to the health, such as Omega-3 fatty acid, may interact with some medications, such as glucocorticoids, potentiating its side effect

    koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist

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    We have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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