Effects of a Ketogenic Diet on the Assessment of Biochemical and Clinical Parameters in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Preclinical Investigation.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by progressive skeletal muscle degeneration and systemic effects, including the central nervous system (CNS). This study aimed to assess the impact of a 14-day ketogenic diet (DCet) on biochemical and clinical parameters in a DMD mouse model. Young adult mice (50 days old) were fed DCet, while control groups received a standard diet. On the 14th day, memory and behavior tests were conducted, followed by biochemical evaluations of oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, body weight, feed intake, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. mdx + DCet mice showed reduced mass (0.2 g ± 2.49) and improved memory retention (p < 0.05) compared to controls. Oxidative damage in muscle tissue and CNS decreased, along with a significant cytokine level reduction (p <0.05). The protocol led to an increase in hippocampal BDNF and mitochondrial respiratory complex activity in muscle tissue and the central nervous system (CNS), while also decreasing creatine kinase activity only in the striatum. Overall, a 14-day DCet showed protective effects by improving spatial learning and memory through reductions in oxidative stress and immune response, as well as increases in BDNF levels, consistent with our study's findings.

Obesity in people with diabetes in COVID-19 times: Important considerations and precautions to be taken.

At the end of 2019, a new disease with pandemic potential appeared in China. It was a novel coronavirus called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Later, in the first quarter of 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of this disease a pandemic. Elderly people, people with comorbidities, and health care professionals are more vulnerable to COVID-19. Obesity has been growing exponentially worldwide, affecting several age groups. It is a morbidity that is associated with genetic, epigenetic, environment factors and/or interaction between them. Obesity is associated with the development of several diseases including diabetes mellitus, mainly type 2. Diabetes affects a significant portion of the global population. Obesity and diabetes are among the main risk factors for the development of severe symptoms of COVID-19, and individuals with these conditions constitute a risk group. Based on a literature review on obesity in people with diabetes in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study presents updated important considerations and care to be taken with this population.

Alignment of Biological Sequences with Jalview.

In this chapter, we introduce core functionality of the Jalview interactive platform for the creation, analysis, and publication of multiple sequence alignments. A workflow is described based on Jalview's core functions: from data import to figure generation, including import of alignment reliability scores from T-Coffee and use of Jalview from the command line. The accompanying notes provide background information on the underlying methods and discuss additional options for working with Jalview to perform multiple sequence alignment, functional site analysis, and publication of alignments on the web.

Análise da distância e intensidade dos deslocamentos, numa partida de futsal, nas diferentes posições de jogo / Displacement intensity and distance of futsal players of different game positions

O presente estudo teve por finalidade avaliar a distância e a intensidade nas características dos deslocamentos(andar, trotar, correr, deslocamento lateral e deslocamento para trás) numa partida de futsal nas diferentes posições de jogo, na IV edição da Copa Capão da Canoa - RS. Para tal, os atletas das equipes (UPF/Zamil, ACBF, Inter/Ulbra e Vasco da Gama) foram submetidos ao teste de WITHERS et al. (1982), com a finalidade de identificar o comprimento da passada específica de cada jogador na característica de cada deslocamento. Os jogadores foram filmados durante os seis jogos da copa, todos foram realizados no mesmo local. A escolha dos 16 atletas que fizeram parte da amostra, divididos em quatro atletas por característica de posição (goleiro, fixo, ala e pivô), foi realizada pelo maior tempo de participação em quadra. Para a análise das intensidades das atividades, selecionaram-se como atividade de baixa intensidade os deslocamentos para trás, para os lados e andar; como média intensidade, otrotar e, como alta intensidade, a corrida. Foi utilizado a Análise de Variância - Anova - One Way e o teste de post-hoc de Tukey, para verificar diferenças entre posições e deslocamentos, adotando-se o nível de significância de 5 e 1%. Os resultados apresentaram diferenças significativas entre os goleiros e as demais posições nos deslocamentos de trotar e correr. No deslocamento para trás observou-se que os alas realizaram uma menor distância neste deslocamento que as demais posições e no deslocamento lateral e no andar não houve diferença significativa entre as posições. Foi possível detectar também diferenças significativas entre alguns deslocamentos dentro da característica de cada posição: os goleiros foram os atletas que mais permaneceram em quadra durante os jogos, ao passo que os pivôs foram os mais substituídos e participaram mais das atividades de alta intensidade, verificando-se assim, a especificidade entre as posições de jogo.