1,720,955 research outputs found
Impacto do alelo ε4 de apoe na progressão e gravidade da covid-19 e outras síndromes gripais respiratórias
Full text linkApolipoprotein E (ApoE), especially the ApoE4 isoform, is suggested to influence the severity of respiratory viral infections; however, this association is still unclear.
Hypothesis: The presence of allele ε4 impacts the development of Flu-like syndromes.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the ε 4 allele on the severity and duration of Flu-like syndromes, including COVID-19.
Methodology: This study comprised 280 individuals presenting flu-like symptoms, all genotyped for ApoE isoforms. Data were collected on clinical course, comorbidities, nutritional status, biochemical and inflammatory markers, SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results, and disease severity (mild, moderate/severe) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The individuals were analyzed as a whole and within subgroups based on the SARS-CoV-2 positive (COVID-19 group) or negative (flu-like syndrome group) test.
Results: The frequency of the ε4 allele was similar across the whole population and in both the COVID-19 and Flu-like syndrome subgroups (17 and 18%, respectively). No differences were seen in sex, age range, self-reported skin color, BMI, number of comorbidities, vaccination status, biochemical, cytokine, and lipid profiles (except for total cholesterol) in the flu-like group when ε4 allele carriers and non-carriers were compared. In the COVID-19 group, the ε4 allele did not correlate with disease severity or duration, number of comorbidities, or inflammatory biomarkers.
While gender distribution was equal in the overall COVID-19 population, male gender strongly correlated with COVID-19 severity. Multivariate analysis showed that older individuals, male gender, higher BMI, and the presence of comorbidities were linked to increased chances of developing moderate and severe disease. IL-4 was the only factor found to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19.
Conclusion: The presence of one ɛ4 allele showed no association with the duration and severity of Flu-like syndromes, including COVID-19. Nonetheless, SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals tend to be older men with a higher BMI and a tendency to be overweight and obese. Regarding COVID-19 severity, BMI, male sex, and the number of associated comorbidities were the factors that increased the chance of developing a more severe form of COVID-19, while Il-4 decreased the chance.Sugere-se que a apolipoproteína E (ApoE), especialmente a isoforma ApoE4, influencia a gravidade das infecções virais respiratórias; no entanto, essa associação ainda não está clara.
Hipótese: A presença do alelo ε4 impacta o desenvolvimento de síndromes semelhantes à gripe.
Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto do alelo ε4 de Apo E na gravidade e duração de síndromes semelhantes à gripe, incluindo COVID-19.
Metodologia: Este estudo de coorte compreendeu 280 indivíduos apresentando sintomas semelhantes aos da gripe, todos genotipados para isoformas de ApoE. Dados foram coletados sobre curso clínico, comorbidades, estado nutricional, marcadores bioquímicos e inflamatórios, resultados de RT-PCR do SARS-CoV-2 e gravidade da doença de acordo com os parâmetros de gravidade da OMS. Os indivíduos foram analisados como um todo e dentro de subgrupos com base no teste positivo (grupo COVID-19) ou negativo (grupo síndrome semelhante à gripe) para SARS-CoV-2.
Resultados: A frequência do alelo ε4 foi similar, considerando toda a população e os subgrupos COVID-19 e síndrome semelhante à gripe (17 e 18%, respectivamente). Não foram observadas diferenças em todos os parâmetros analisados (sexo, faixa etária, cor da pele autorrelatada, IMC, número de comorbidades, perfil bioquímico e perfil de citocinas, estado de vacinação e colesterol LDL, HDL, exceto colesterol total) no grupo semelhante à gripe ao comparar portadores e não portadores do alelo 4. No grupo COVID-19, o alelo ε4 não se correlacionou com a gravidade da doença (os resultados foram hospitalização sem ventilação invasiva ou ventilação mecânica ou ventilação mais suporte de órgãos ou morte), duração, comorbidades ou biomarcadores inflamatórios. Embora a distribuição de gênero tenha sido igual na população geral de COVID-19, o sexo masculino se correlacionou fortemente com a gravidade da COVID-19. A análise multivariada mostrou que indivíduos mais velhos, do sexo masculino, com IMC mais alto e a presença de comorbidades estavam associados a maiores chances de desenvolver doença moderada e grave. A IL-4 foi o único fator que reduziu o risco de COVID-19 grave.
Conclusão: A presença de um alelo ɛ4 de Apo E não mostrou associação com a duração e gravidade de síndromes semelhantes à gripe, incluindo COVID-19. No entanto, indivíduos positivos para SARS-CoV-2 tendem a ser homens mais velhos, com IMC mais alto, com sobrepeso e obesidade. Em relação à gravidade da COVID-19, o IMC, o sexo masculino e o número de comorbidades associadas foram os fatores que aumentaram as chances de desenvolver uma forma mais grave de COVID-19 e a Il-4 foi o único fator que reduziu as chances.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superio
Vitamina D em obesos e não obesos: possíveis correlações com adiponectina e resistência à insulina
Full text linkBackground: Obesity is a major public health problem that affects over 500 million
people worldwide. In Brazil, obesity reaches 20.8% of the population. Like obesity, the
prevalence of individuals with vitamin D insufficiency is pandemic and there are
numerous studies suggesting that the endocrine system, which involves vitamin D, is
altered in individuals with obesity. Obesity has been inversely associated with levels of
25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD). Some studies have associated 25OHD with low
concentrations of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and insulin resistance. Insulin
resistance has also been associated with low levels of adiponectin. Adiponectin is a plasma
protein of 30kDa secreted specifically by adipose tissue. Excess adipose tissue induces a
disruption in the production of adipokines, increasing the production of inflammatory and
reducing inflammatory ones, like adiponectin. This results in a chronic inflammatory state
of the organism and insulin resistance. Plasma levels of adiponectin are reduced in insulin
resistant states. Studies have suggested that there is an association between adiponectin,
in patients with obesity, and vitamin D insufficiency, with positive feedback after one year
of supplementation with vitamin D3. It is not well known the relationship between obesity,
vitamin D insufficiency and insulin resistance.
The aim of this study is to verify the association between the levels of 25OHD in
patients with obesity (body mass index or BMI≥ 30kg/m²) and eutrophic (BMI> 18.5 and
24.9 kg/m²), excluding the range overweight BMI (BMI≥25 to 29.9kg/m²), and
adiponectin and insulin resistance. Through a transverse study we evaluated
anthropometric indicators, bio impedance levels, 25OHD, adiponectin and insulin
resistance by Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) in both
groups. The association between vitamin D, adiponectin and HOMA-IR was tested and
compared in both groups and in the whole sample by logistic regression.
Results: We evaluated 76 patients, 40 with obesity (52,6%), the mean age was
35,0±9,5 years, 75% female, and 65,8% had 25OHD insufficiency. Mean BMI was
22,9±1,5 and 34,4±4,7kg/m2
among eutrophic or obese, respectively. There was no
association between 25OHD levels and adiponectin or insulin resistance in obese and
eutrophic patients. We only found an inverse association, independent of age and gender,
between 25OHD and fat percentage measured by bioelectric impedance (p=0.011, R²=
0.07 and CI of the 0.90 to 0.99)
Conclusion: There was no association among vitamin D and the parameters studied
for that population. There is still a lot to understand about the association among 25OHD,
adiponectin and insulin resistance. The controversy of the theme remains, especially in
that sample of the Brazilian population. Studies have showed that ethnic aspects and
vitamin D receptor genetic polymorphisms could alter the relations between those
variables. Future studies involving larger samples and more skin colors can be useful.A obesidade, é um importante problema de saúde pública que afeta mais de 500
milhões de pessoas no mundo. No Brasil, a obesidade atinge 20,8% da população. Assim
como a obesidade, a prevalência de indivíduos com carência de vitamina D (vitD) é
pandêmica e existem inúmeros trabalhos sugerindo que o sistema endócrino, que envolve
a vitD, está alterado em portadores de obesidade. A obesidade tem sido inversamente
associada à concentração sérica de 25-hidroxivitaminaD (25OHD). Alguns estudos
associam baixas concentrações de 25OHD à síndrome metabólica, diabetes e resistência
à insulina. A resistência à insulina também tem sido associada à baixas concentrações de
adiponectina. A adiponectina é uma proteína plasmática de 30KDa, secretada
especificamente pelo tecido adiposo. O tecido adiposo em excesso induz uma
desregulação na produção das adipocinas, aumentando a produção das inflamatórias e
reduzindo as anti-inflamatórias como a adiponectina. Isso resulta num estado inflamatório
crônico do organismo e resistência à insulina. A concentração plasmática da adiponectina
está reduzida em estados de resistência à insulina. Estudos têm sugerido que existe
associação entre adiponectina em pacientes com obesidade e insuficiência de vitD, com
feedback positivo (aumento da adiponectina) após um ano de suplementação com vitD3.
Ainda não se sabe ao certo a relação entre obesidade, concentrações séricas de vitD e
resistência à insulina.
O objetivo desse estudo é verificar a associação entre as concentrações séricas de
25OHD (suficientes ou não), em pacientes com obesidade (Índice de massa corporal ou
IMC≥ 30kg/m2
) e eutróficos (IMC >18,5 a 24,9 kg/m2
), excluída a faixa de IMC de
sobrepeso (IMC≥25 a 29,9kg/m2
), com a adiponectina e resistência à insulina. Por meio
de um estudo transversal e após cálculo amostral, foram avaliados indicadores
antropométricos, bioimpedância, a concentração sérica de 25OHD, adiponectina e
resistência à insulina pelo Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMAIR) nos dois grupos. A associação entre a vitD, classificada em normal ou insuficiente,
adiponectina e HOMA-IR foi testada e comparada amostra total e nos dois grupos através
de regressão logística.
Resultados: Avaliados 76 pacientes, 40 portadores de obesidade (52,6%), com
idade média de 35,0±9,5 anos, sendo 75% dos participantes do sexo feminino e 65,8%
apresentavam insuficiência de vitD. O IMC médio foi de 22,9±1,5 e 34,4±4,7kg/m2
no
grupo de eutróficos e indivíduos com obesidade, respectivamente. Não foi encontrada
associação entre vitD e adiponectina ou resistência à insulina em portadores de obesidade
e eutróficos. Encontrou-se associação inversa independente de idade e sexo entre
concentrações séricas de vitD e percentual de gordura pela bioimpedância na amostra total
(p=0.011, R²= 0.07 e intervalo de confiança de 0,90 a 0,99)
Conclusão: Não houve nenhuma associação entre a vitamina que D e os parâmetros
estudados para aquela população. Ainda há muito que entender sobre a associação entre
vitamina D, adiponectina e resistência de insulina. A controvérsia do tema continua,
especialmente nessa amostra da população brasileira. Estudos mostram que aspectos
étnicos e polimorfismos genéticos do receptor da vitamina D podem alterar a relação entre
as variáveis estudadas. Mais estudos que envolvam amostras maiores e com mais cores
de pele podem ser úteis
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe 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
Full text link“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
Full text linkWe 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
Full text linkWe 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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe 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
Author-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.
No full textAuthor-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.</p
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