Competências Básicas de Investigação Científica e de Publicação

Ganesha Associates 117 June 2013

Competências Básicas de Investigação Científica e de Publicação

Lecture 1: How publishing worksAugust 2014

Preparation Journal Selection Writing Submission Peer

ReviewPublication

Success

determining likelihood of acceptance

citation management

navigating a submission system in a

second language

writing an outline

comparing journals

assessing relevance to

research topic

understanding comments

long decision timelines

decision to re-submit, or try a different journal

Publicationethics

writing in English formatting to

guidelines

Publishing is an essential research skill

13/08/2013 Ganesha Associates

www.ganesha-associates.com

Ganesha Associates

Me…

• BSc Physics 1971, PhD Neuroscience 1976, post doc 1975-1979

• Visiting Professor, UFPe 1978-79• Editor, Publisher, Director at Elsevier Science 1979

– 2005• Pubmed systems expert, NCBI, NIH 2006-2007• STM business analyst, Outsell Inc, 2009-2011• Visiting Professor UFPe, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012,

2013

13/08/2013


• Attribution of priority via peer review– It’s new (probably), you were the first !

• Verification via peer review– Your conclusions are clear and plausible– Your methodology is appropriate

• Communication– Contribute to building the story– Permanent archive– Replication

• Professional advancement !!– Broad readership– High rates of citation (= recognition)– CAPES Qualis points– $$$$$

Getting published in a good journal is important because…

Assessment of departmental performance

Your goals as researchers

• Get your paper published• At first/second attempt• In a Qualis A journal• And receive lots of citations…

Ganesha Associates 2013

But, the Editor has other ideas…

05/06/2013

Editorial review process

Submit article

Screening

Peer review

Rejection

Rejection

Revision Acceptance


Screening: Royal Society for Chemistry

• “Articles submitted to our journals are screened so the editor that is handling the article decides that the article is either out of the journal scope or that the article is clearly below the quality level of the journal.

• The screening rates of our journals varies a lot. Our high quality journals have a pre screen rate of about 80%.”

• So only 20% of articles ever get to the peer review stage (and 80% of them are rejected!)

05/06/2013


So overall rejection rates are high


Some comments on peer review – the pros

–The process forces authors to meet the standards of their discipline and achieve scientific objectivity.

–Publications that do not involve peer review are likely to be regarded with suspicion by scholars and professionals in many fields.

–Peer review helps authors to develop clear, precise writing styles.


Peer review – the cons– A peer is likely to be a competitor. So how objective

are they going to be ?

– Authors are encouraged by the publishing process to exaggerate their claims and even be selective of the data being published, leading to bias

– Negative findings are rarely published, leading to further bias when judging the effectiveness say of new medical technologies

– Citation rates of individual articles published in high impact titles such as Nature is highly variable.


What is the Editor looking for ?

• Will the article get cited (and boost the IF?)?• Is the subject of the article relevant to any of

the main stories currently being published in the journal?

• Are the findings novel, interesting to the readership?

• Is the purpose of the research clearly stated in the title, abstract?

• Is the experimental design appropriate?


Reasons for rejection• Badly written, bad English [bad Portuguese]

• Mismatch with journal aims and scope [submit to wrong journal]

• Failure to follow journal’s instructions to authors

• Lack of originality, novelty, relevance or significance [weak hypothesis]

• Flaws in study design, poor control [poor experimental design]

• Some of these problems are avoidable if you spot them early!05/06/2013

So getting published isn’t easy…

• Journal editors are fiercely competitive• They only want to publish articles that will improve the

standing of their journal• So they select only those articles that they think will be

highly cited…• And reject the majority of articles sent to them [up to

90+%]• But ultimately, most manuscripts are published,

somewhere… • So learn how to climb the quality ladder

The publishing process

Project proposal

Experiment, results, analysis

Write article

Submit to journal

Rejection/acceptance

Re-submit

?

What can authors do to avoid rejection?

Project proposal


Write article

Submit to journal


Re-submit

?

What can authors do to avoid rejection?

Project proposal


Write article

Submit to journal


Re-submit

?Make sure your problem is well-defined right from the start and is derived directly from the current literature!

Lost in translation

• “Poor English” often used as a euphemism for “badly written”

• Poor Portuguese translates into poor English• Structured Portuguese translates into

structured English• If the science is clear (title, abstract, intro,

results) the chances of early rejection are reduced

Journal selection criteria

• Your hypothesis – where have other recent papers on this subject been published?

• Are the aims and scope of journal appropriate?

• The Impact Factor and Qualis ranking• Speed and ease of publication• Publisher’s statistics on circulation, downloads

Submission to wrong journal• Dear Profa,• The manuscript that you submitted to JOURNALNAME falls

outside the scope of the journal and cannot be considered for publication. Although in the past the journal has published research in this field, with the change of editorship a few years ago it was decided that this type of research reported does not contribute to our basic understanding of the auditory system. Please do not consider this as a judgment on the value of your research. Because your research may have a clinical application, you could consider sending this manuscript to a more clinically oriented journal.

• Editor in Chief

So which journal should I choose?


Example: Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in dry tropical forests of Northeast Brazil

The arbuscular mycorrhizal association is one of the important strategies used by plants in arid and semiarid regions to support water scarcity and soil nutrient deficiency. In this study the diversity and activity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were investigated in two types of dry tropical forest. Soil and roots samples were collected in areas of thorny dry woody savanna (TDWS) and in areas of mixed savanna and montane deciduous shrub (SMDS) in Pernambuco State, Brazil. Twenty seven species from 10 genera of Glomeromycota were identified, and Acaulospora was the most representative. An average of 50 spores per 100 g of soil was recovered from the two areas. The infection potential of the AMF was determined using colonized root fragments and extraradical mycelium and demonstrated the importance of these propagules for the colonization of roots. Under the same semiarid conditions, the two tropical dry forests studied harbored distinct AMF communities indicating that the soil and vegetation type are the key influencers of the composition and activity of these fungi in the studied areas. 02/10/2013

Ganesha Associates 201302/10/2013

Use eTBLAST to find similar articles


Top 10 Journals in this area of research

1. Mycorrhiza Total score: 8.23

2. Oecologia Total score: 1.40

3. The New phytologist Total score: 1.31

4. Mycologia Total score: 0.81

5. Molecular ecology Total score: 0.75

6. Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology Total score: 0.67

7. Applied and environmental microbiology Total score: 0.65

8. Environmental microbiology Total score: 0.62

9. Revista de biología tropical Total score: 0.46

10. Journal of plant physiology Total score: 0.44


EDANZ Journal Selector

Oecologia: Aims and scope

Oecologia publishes innovative ecological research of international interest. We seek reviews, advances in methodology, and original contributions, emphasizing the following areas:- Population ecology- Plant-microbe-animal interactions- Ecosystem ecology- Community ecology- Global change ecology- Conservation ecology- Behavioral ecology- Physiological EcologyIn general, studies that are purely descriptive, mathematical, documentary, and/or natural history will not be considered.

Mycorrhiza: Aims and scope

Mycorrhiza is an international journal devoted to research into mycorrhizas - the widest symbioses in nature, involving plants and a range of soil fungi world-wide. The scope of Mycorrhiza covers all aspects of research into mycorrhizas, including molecular biology of the plants and fungi, fungal systematics, development and structure of mycorrhizas, and effects on plant physiology, productivity, reproduction and disease resistance. The scope also includes interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and other soil organisms and effects of mycorrhizas on plant biodiversity and ecosystem structure.Mycorrhiza contains original papers, short notes and review articles, along with commentaries and news items. It forms a platform for new concepts and discussions, and is a basis for a truly international forum of mycorrhizologists from all over the world.


Impact factors and Qualis

?


What is an Impact factor?• For a given year (2013), the impact factor is the average

number of citations per paper published during the two preceding years.– A = number of times articles published in 2011 and 2012 were

cited by other indexed journals during 2013. – B = total number of articles published in 2011 and 2012. – 2013 impact factor = A/B.

• Used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field based on a measure of the average number of citations received by each article.

17 June 2013

Orthopaedic physical therapyBMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Impact Factor/Qualis : 1.875/C J. Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy Impact Factor/Qualis : 2.538/A1 Physical Therapy in Sport Impact Factor/Qualis : 2.645/A2 Spine Impact Factor/Qualis : 2.624/C

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Impact Factor/Qualis : 2.358/A1

American J. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Impact Factor/Qualis : 1.556/A1 The Journal Of Hand Surgery Impact Factor/Qualis : 1.572/C

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Impact Factor/Qualis : 2.676/B1

J. Bone and Joint Surgery Impact Factor : 2.967/C

Title Source title Year Cited byWhat people with aphasia want: Their goals according to the ICF

Aphasiology2011 30

Epigenotype-phenotype correlations in Silver-Russell syndrome

Journal of Medical Genetics2010 27

Formant centralization ratio: A proposal for a new acoustic measure of dysarthric speech

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research2010 23

All-cause health care utilization and costs associated with newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis in the United States

Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy

2010 21Clinical and biological parameters in 166 boys, adolescents and adults with nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome: A Copenhagen experience

Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics

2011 19Post-high school service use among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine2011 19

Blind randomized controlled study of the effi cacy of cognitive training in Parkinson's disease

Movement Disorders2011 16

Anomia training and brain stimulation in chronic aphasia Neuropsychological Rehabilitation 2011 14The submucous cleft palate: Diagnosis and therapy International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 2011 14Treatment of velopharyngeal insuffi ciency by autologous fat injection

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology2010 13

Speech therapy in patients with excessive supragastric belching - A pilot study

Neurogastroenterology and Motility2010 13

Exploratory randomized clinical study of pagoclone in persistent developmental stuttering

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology2010 12

Try to publish in mainstream, international journals…

Title Journal Year Cited byTermino-terminal hypoglossofacial anastomosis, indications, results [Anastomose hypoglosso-faciale termino-terminale. Indications. Résultats]

Revue de Laryngologie Otologie Rhinologie

2010 1Speech intelligibility in cerebral palsy children attending an art therapy program

Medical Science Monitor2010 1

Evaluating the feasibility and the potential effi cacy of e-learning-based speech therapy (EST) as a web application for speech training in dysarthric patients with Parkinson's Disease: A case study

Telemedicine and e-Health

2010 1Creativity and personality styles: An approach to creative profiles in university students [Creatividad y estilos de personalidad: Aproximación a un perfil creativo en estudiantes universitarios]

Anales de Psicologia

2010 1Psychogenic dysphonia associated to other diseases: A challenge for speech therapy [Disfonia psicogênica associada a outras doenças: Desafio para o tratamento fonoaudiológico]

Pro-Fono

2010 1Coordination between posture and phonation in vocal effort behavior

Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica2010 1

Speech and swallowing disorders in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Literature review [Alterações da fonação e deglutição na esclerose lateral amiotrófica: Revisão de literatura]

Revista Neurociencias

2010 1

…where the citation levels are higher

Impact factors and research assessment – the future

• Publishers LOVE impact factors!– “Nature remains #1 in the Multidisciplinary

Sciences, with an Impact Factor of 38.597, and is the most cited science journal in the world with 554,745 citations in 2012.”

• Researchers and funding agencies HATE them!• But citations do prove that your work is being

integrated into the consensus view for your discipline

Source: Nature press release July 2013

Where else does the process go wrong?

Project proposal


Write article

Submit to journal


Re-submit

?

What can authors do to improve?

Project proposal


Write article

Submit to journal


Re-submit

?Make sure your problem is well-defined right from the start and is derived directly from the current literature!

Project titles – what is your problem?

• Análise dos limiares de sensibilidade à pressão e à corrente elétrica em acupontos em indivíduos com e sem migrânea

• Frequência, localização anatômica e limiar de percepção dolorosa em pontos gatilhos miofasciais na cabeça e pescoço em mulheres com migrânea.

• Ultrassonografia e eletromiografia de superfície dos músculos flexores cervicais em mulheres com migrânea e cefaleia do tipo tensional

Titles are easily improved – focus on outcomes rather than methods

• Diaphragm release manual technique effects on diaphragmatic mobility, respiratory muscle strength and exercise performance in COPD patients: a randomized controlled trial.

• Manual diaphragm release technique increases tidal volume in elderly COPD patients

COPD - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder

Hypotheses – should be about mechanism not measurement

• Patients with migraine will have a higher number of myofascial trigger points in the temporalis, masseter, sternocleidomastoid and descending trapezius muscles.

• Patients with migraine will have a low threshold for pain sensation in these points.

• Cutaneous mechanical cephalic and extra-cephalic allodynia will vary during the month

Allodynia is pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke pain

Hypotheses negated – do we learn anything new?

• Patients with migraine will have a lower number of myofascial trigger points in the temporalis, masseter, sternocleidomastoid and descending trapezius muscles.

• Patients with migraine will have a higher threshold for pain sensation in these points.

• Cutaneous mechanical cephalic and extra-cephalic allodynia will not vary during the month

Allodynia is pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke pain

Frequência, localização anatômica e limiar de percepção dolorosa em pontos gatilhos miofasciais na cabeça e pescoço em

mulheres com migrânea.

Context: Migraine is a very common pain syndrome and the mechanisms that can cause or aggravate the pain and the consequences of its chronicity are still not completely understood. Studies have shown that migraine is associated with a central sensitization phenomena in which noxious stimuli cause changes in the central nervous system , sensitizing cranial nociceptors and reducing their activation threshold . In this context , the constant peripheral nociceptive input due to myofascial trigger points in the muscles of the head and neck may be associated with the onset of the migraine attack . The elucidation of the role of trigger points in migraine is essential in order to establish and direct physical therapy through tools useful for patients with myofascial disorders associated with migrainous framework .

Objective: To measure differences in the frequency , anatomical location and sensory threshold pressure of the trigger points of the trapezius (descending fibers), masseter and sternocleidomastoid muscles in women with and without migraine .

Abstracts – what is your problem?

Reduction in perceived stress as a migraine trigger: the "let-down headache" hypothesis.

• OBJECTIVE: To test whether level of perceived stress and reductions in levels of perceived stress (i.e., "let-down") are associated with the onset of migraine attacks in persons with migraine.• METHODS: Patients with migraine from a tertiary headache center were invited to participate in a 3-month electronic diary study. Participants entered data daily regarding migraine attack experience, subjective stress ratings, and other data. Stress was assessed using 2 measures: the Perceived Stress Scale and the Self-Reported Stress Scale. Logit-normal, random-effects models were used to estimate the odds ratio for migraine occurrence as a function of level of stress over several time frames.• RESULTS: Of 22 enrolled participants, 17 (median age 43.8 years) completed >30 days of diaries, yielding 2,011 diary entries including 110 eligible migraine attacks (median 5 attacks per person). Level of stress was not generally associated with migraine occurrence. However, decline in stress from one evening diary to the next was associated with increased migraine onset over the subsequent 6, 12, and 18 hours, with odds ratios ranging from 1.5 to 1.9 (all p values < 0.05) for the Perceived Stress Scale. Decline in stress was associated with migraine onset after controlling for level of stress for all time points. Findings were similar using the Self-Reported Stress Scale.• CONCLUSIONS: Reduction in stress from one day to the next is associated with migraine onset the next day. Decline in stress may be a marker for an impending migraine attack and may create opportunities for preemptive pharmacologic or behavioral interventions.

Neurology. 2014 Apr 22;82(16):1395-401. Impact Factor 8.25

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24670889

Developing better hypotheses is not difficult

Conclusions

• Make sure your hypothesis is firmly rooted in the current literature

• Make sure you express your problem and its solution clearly in the title and abstract

• Make sure that the hypothesis and its basis in the current literature are clearly expressed in the Introduction

• Identify at least one journal that is publishing work based on similar hypotheses

Measuring group performance

The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:H-index-en.svg

0 5 10 15 20 250

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Fisioterapia - departmental performance

Article output 2008-2013

H-in

dex


Why do some papers not get cited?


Echocardiography evaluations for asymptomatic patients with severe obesity

Abstract

Objective: To study the systolic and diastolic function of asymptomatic patients with severe obesity using a Doppler echocardiography. Methods: Thirty candidates for bariatric surgery, with an average BMI of 49.2 ± 8.8 Kg/m2 and no previous history of heart disease were evaluated through transthoracic echocardiography. Results: Enlarged left chambers were observed in 42.9% of the sample, diastolic dysfunction in 54.6% and left ventricular hypertrophy in 82.1%, of which 50% of the cases presented the geometric pattern of eccentric hypertrophy. Indexation of left ventricular mass to height resulted in a significantly higher number of diagnoses for hypertrophy than indexation to body surface area (p = 0.0053), demonstrating that this index is more appropriate to determine ventricular hypertrophy in obese people. Correlations between left ventricular hypertrophy with obesity duration and pressure levels were positive as well as correlations between body mass index and diastolic dysfunction indicators. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that echocardiograms performed on asymptomatic severely obese patients can detect alterations in the cardiac structure that are common in cases of obesity cardiomyopathy and can be associated with the development of heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden death, enabling the identification of patients with greater cardiovascular risk.

02/10/2013


Before: Echocardiography evaluations for asymptomatic patients with severe obesity• Objective: To study the systolic and diastolic function of

asymptomatic patients with severe obesity using a Doppler echocardiography.

• Conclusion: This study demonstrated that echocardiograms performed on asymptomatic severely obese patients can detect alterations in the cardiac structure that are common in cases of obesity cardiomyopathy and can be associated with the development of heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden death, enabling the identification of patients with greater cardiovascular risk.

02/10/2013


After: Echocardiography identifies obese patients at risk of cardiovascular complications• Objective: Can echocardiograms be used to identify

patients at risk of cardiovascular complications?• Conclusion: Echocardiograms detect common

alterations in the cardiac structure in asymptomatic severely obese patients. These changes are associated with the development of heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden death. Thus, echocardiograms can be used to identify patients at risk of cardiovascular complications.

02/10/2013

Top 10 Journals for this area of interest:

1. Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia Total score: 1.12 IF 0.22

2. Hypertension Total score: 0.93 IF 6.87

3. The American Journal of Cardiology Total score: 0.91 IF 3.21

4. Journal of Hypertension Total score: 0.85 IF 3.81

5. Journal of the American College of Cardiology Total score: 0.73

6. International Journal of Cardiology Total score: 0.67

7. European Heart Journal Total score: 0.63

8. Journal of Human Hypertension Total score: 0.59

9. Acta Cardiologica Total score: 0.52

10. Giornale Italiano di Cardiologia Total score: 0.37


Use eTBLAST to identify similar articles

02/10/2013

Ganesha Associates

Introduction: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex syndrome caused by functional or structural cardiac abnormalities, leading to defects in ventricular filling/ejection. As a result, the heart is unable to adequately supply the blood demand of tissues.1,2

The main symptoms of CHF are dyspnea and fatigue,3,4 caused by a physiopathological interaction beyond the hemodynamic disorder itself.3-6 Research shows that the lungs, with the exception of possible pulmonary function damage, are not responsible for reduced functional capacity in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).4 Since hemodynamic and pulmonary limitations do not sufficiently explain the appearance of fatigue and dyspnea in CHF sufferers, several studies suggest that skeletal muscle abnormalities may contribute to these symptoms among subjects with CHF.6,7

Fatigue and dyspnea hamper performance in activities of daily living and exercise among patients with CHF.8 These symptoms are caused by skeletal muscle atrophy, lower percentages of type I fibers in relation to type II, a decline in oxidative enzymes with rapid depletion of glycolytic mechanisms, as well as a decrease in the size and number of mitochondria.9 In addition, respiratory muscle weakness may be involved in increased breathing effort during hyperpnea required to perform activities with greater energy expenditure.10

Inspiratory muscle dysfunction is characterized by a reduction in their ability to generate pressure and force. This decreased strength is the result of histological and biochemical changes. Based on diaphragm biopsies of individuals with CHF, histological studies recorded an increase in type I fibers, suggesting a compensatory mechanism for the ventilation overload of these muscles. 11 Moreover, weakness in these muscles can also be explained by the reduced diameter of muscular fibers, causing mechanical alterations.12 Clinically, this dysfunction may lead to limited exercise ability and diminished quality of life, as well as a less favorable prognosis among individuals affected.10

In an attempt to reduce respiratory muscle dysfunction in CHF sufferers, several investigations have demonstrated the effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT). 8,10,13 Inspiratory muscles, particularly the diaphragm, exhibit plasticity and are therefore susceptible to the principles of training.14 In accordance with the specificity of training, IMT improves respiratory function in daily activities with regard to the type of muscle recruitment pattern required during exercise or activities of daily living of patients. 15

A recent study by Chiappa et al 13, recorded a 72% increase in MIP among individuals who underwent IMT and suffered from CHF related to inspiratory muscle weakness, compared to patients not submitted to training. Using ultrasound testing, the investigation also found that IMT provoked notable diaphragmatic hypertrophy.

Another clinically significant aspect in CHF sufferers is the presence of cardiomegaly in some patients. In this condition expansion of the chest wall is limited and extrapulmonary restriction, caused by competition between the lungs and heart for space inside the chest, may occur. As the disease advances and worsens, in association with cardiomegaly, episodes of dyspnea become more frequent and severe with minimal effort and muscle fatigue sets in progressively sooner.14-15

Thus, the present study aims to assess regional lung ventilation distribution in patients with CHF after completing an inspiratory muscle training program and correlate it with functional capacity and quality of life among these individuals.

REGIONAL LUNG VENTILATION DISTRIBUTION AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AFTER AN INSPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING

PROGRAME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

18/10/2013

Ganesha Associates

Introduction: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex syndrome caused by functional or structural cardiac abnormalities, leading to defects in ventricular filling/ejection.

The main symptoms of CHF are dyspnea and fatigue,3,4 caused by a physiopathological interaction beyond the hemodynamic disorder itself.3-

Fatigue and dyspnea hamper performance in activities of daily living and exercise among patients with CHF.8

Inspiratory muscle dysfunction is characterized by a reduction in their ability to generate pressure and force.

In an attempt to reduce respiratory muscle dysfunction in CHF sufferers, several investigations have demonstrated the effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT). 8,10,13

A recent study by Chiappa et al 13, recorded a 72% increase in MIP among individuals who underwent IMT and suffered from CHF related to inspiratory muscle weakness, compared to patients not submitted to training. Using ultrasound testing, the investigation also found that IMT provoked notable diaphragmatic hypertrophy.

Another clinically significant aspect in CHF sufferers is the presence of cardiomegaly in some patients.

Thus, the present study aims to assess regional lung ventilation distribution in patients with CHF after completing an inspiratory muscle training program and correlate it with functional capacity and quality of life among these individuals.

REGIONAL LUNG VENTILATION DISTRIBUTION AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE… First sentence from each paragraph

18/10/2013

Ganesha Associates

Pathophysiology: The main symptoms of chronic heart failure (CHF) are dyspnea and fatigue,3,4 Several studies suggest that skeletal muscle abnormalities may contribute to these symptoms.6,7 Diaphragm biopsies of individuals with CHF show an increase in type I fibers, suggesting a compensatory mechanism for the ventilation overload of these muscles. 11 Moreover, weakness in these muscles can also be explained by the reduced diameter of muscular fibers, causing mechanical alterations.12

Clinical presentation: Clinically, this dysfunction may lead to limited exercise ability and diminished quality of life, as well as a less favorable prognosis among individuals affected.10 Some CHF patients have cardiomegaly. Expansion of the chest wall is limited and extra-pulmonary restriction, caused by competition between the lungs and heart for space inside the chest, may occur. As the disease advances episodes of dyspnea become more frequent and muscle fatigue sets in progressively sooner.14-15

Current treatment: In an attempt to increase respiratory muscle function in CHF sufferers, several investigations have demonstrated the positive effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT). 8,10,13 IMT improves respiratory function in daily activities with regard to the type of muscle recruitment pattern required during exercise or activities of daily living of patients. 15 For example, a recent study by Chiappa et al 13, recorded a 72% increase in MIP in CHF patients who underwent IMT. Using ultrasound testing, the investigation also found that IMT provoked notable diaphragmatic hypertrophy.

Purpose of study: Here we show that IMT improved muscle strength, functional capacity and quality of life in CHS patients. We also analyzed the distribution behavior of lung volumes for the thoracoabdominal system in this population and found that larger abdominal rib cage and abdomen volumes may result in more effective diaphragmatic contraction.

REGIONAL LUNG VENTILATION DISTRIBUTION AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC HEART… Revised version

18/10/2013

Ganesha Associates

Introduction: The main symptoms of chronic heart failure (CHF) are dyspnea and fatigue.

Clinically, this dysfunction may lead to limited exercise ability and diminished quality of life, as well as a less favourable prognosis among individuals affected.

In an attempt to increase respiratory muscle function in CHF sufferers, several investigations have demonstrated the positive effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT).

Here we show that IMT improved muscle strength, functional capacity and quality of life in CHS patients.

INSPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING IMPROVES REGIONAL LUNG VENTILATION DISTRIBUTION IN CHRONIC HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED

CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

18/10/2013

Conclusions

• It is easy to increase the impact of your work by making the purpose (and results) of your work clear in the title, abstract, introduction.

• Greater visibility will lead to higher citations• If your work is well-cited, it will be easier to

get published in journals with higher IF/Qualis ratings

• But if your initial hypothesis is weak…


Improving the hypothesis


Do malnutrition and fluoxetine neonatal treatment program alterations in heart morphology?

Abstract: Growth and development events are observed in all organisms and can be modified by exogenous factors such as nutritional changes. Drastic morphological and functional alterations may occur during a vulnerable stage of development. The aim of this study was to investigate if malnutrition and/or fluoxetine neonatal treatment program alterations in heart morphology during the postnatal period. The sample consisted of 48 albino Wistar male rats. The rats were divided into two groups: nourished and malnourished. Pharmacologic manipulation was performed during the suckling period. The animals of each group were divided into two subgroups: saline-nourished and saline-malnourished, treated with sodium chloride solution, and fluoxetine-nourished and fluoxetine-malnourished, treated with fluoxetine. Half of the individuals in each subgroup were weighed and sacrificed on day 30 and the other half on day 71. Myocardial perfusion was performed and the heart subsequently weighed. The ventricles were cross-sectioned into two parts, which were fixed, dehydrated and sectioned. There were differences in body weight, heart weight, cross-sectional area and perimeter of the heart and in the cross-sectional area and perimeter of the cardiac cells among the groups at the different ages. Malnutrition appears to program alterations in heart morphology. However, malnourished animals that had undergone drug treatment did not exhibit the same changes

02/10/2013


IntroductionLong-term consequences in adult life dependent on environmental stimuli during critical periods of development (fetal, neonatal or infancy) have been evidenced by epidemiological and animal studies (Hales and Barker, 1992, Ozanne et al., 1998 and Lopes de Souza et al., 2008). The mechanism associated with these effects is called “programming”, whereby environmental aggression during a critical period of development would have permanent effects on the structure and function of the organs (Lucas, 1991). Nutritional status during the critical period of development has been considered an important inducer of programming in both animals and humans. A growth rate deficit, increased oxidative damage and changes in glucose/insulin metabolism have been observed in rats submitted early in life to either a maternal dietary-protein restriction (40–50% of normal intake) or to low-protein diet throughout gestation and lactation (Desai et al., 1996, Ozanne et al., 1998 and Toscano et al., 2008). In humans, a number of epidemiological studies have provided support to the association between low birth weight and metabolic diseases in adult life (Hales and Barker, 1992 and Ravelli et al., 1998). The effects of early malnutrition on cardiac development have been investigated.

Malnutrition prevents growth and causes an overall deterioration of tissue, especially a severe loss of muscular tissue, including cardiac muscle (Bergman et al., 1988, Almeida and Mandarim-de-Lacerda, 2005 and Toscano et al., 2008). During its development, the heart is damaged by the adverse effects of malnutrition (Fioretto et al., 2002). Animal studies show that malnutrition reduces heart cell mass proportionally to weight loss (Alden et al., 1987, Pissaia et al., 1980, Vandewoude and Buyssens, 1992 and Webb et al., 1986).

The interference in the growth and development processes caused by malnutrition is also seen in the balance of neurotransmitter systems. Regarding the serotonergic system, malnutrition in early life in rats reduces serotonergic fibers and serotonin (5-HT) reuptake sites in the hippocampus (Blatt et al., 1994). Even after short periods of food restriction, metabolic 5-HT changes and also changes in the levels of other substances, such as dopamine, were noted in rat pups (Ishida et al. 1997). It is well known that protein malnutrition early in life promotes an increase of 5-HT and norepinephrine levels in rat brain (Sobotka et al., 1974, Stern et al., 1975 and Resnick et al., 1979). There is also evidence that norepinephrine is increased in the heart of malnourished rats (Pissaia et al., 1980).

Besides its action as a neurotransmitter, 5-HT plays a role in regulating the growth of neural and non-neural tissues (Buznicov et al., 2001). Serotonin is believed to act as a morphogenetic signal in rat embryos, possibly regulating the action or expression of other growth regulatory molecules (Yavarone et al., 1993). Manipulation of the serotonergic system may affect cardiovascular morphogenesis (Negibil et al., 2001) as well as regulating heart cell growth (Yavarone et al., 1993).

According to these hypotheses, optimal serotonin levels may be mitogenic, although high concentrations of this amine seem to be inhibitory (Yavarone et al., 1993). The use of 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during development of the embryo decreased the cell proliferation in the myocardium, cardiac mesenchyma and endothelium growth (Yavarone et al., 1993). Fetal and early infancy environmental exposure can impair cardiovascular health and functioning (Mone et al., 2004). Among the cardiovascular problems that may be caused by environmental exposure is abnormal anatomic development (Mone et al., 2004). Therefore there is increasing evidence that the cardiovascular system is susceptible to external influences throughout gestation and after birth (Mone et al., 2004).

Considering the nutritional and the neurotransmitters influences on body and heart development it would be very opportune to compare the consequences of the early malnutrition and 5-HT pharmacological manipulations on body and heart growth. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate if malnutrition and/or fluoxetine neonatal treatment program alterations in heart morphology.

02/10/2013

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024320508001392%23bib13



























































Introduction

Considering the nutritional and the neurotransmitters influences on body and heart development it would be very opportune to compare the consequences of the early malnutrition and 5-HT pharmacological manipulations on body and heart growth. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate if malnutrition and/or fluoxetine neonatal treatment program alterations in heart morphology.

02/10/2013

Soil enzymatic activity in Eucalyptus grandis plantations of different ages

Abstract(part): We evaluated soil enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, dehydrogenase, urease and arylsulfatase) in each location, and found that replacing the native vegetation with E. grandis promoted changes in the biological properties of the soil. Key findings were that β-glucosidase activity was positively influenced by the introduction of Eucalyptus culture whereas arylsulfatase activity was negatively impacted. Acid phosphatase was more responsive to changes in vegetation and increased reforestation time. The activities of dehydrogenase and urease were sensitive to organic matter content registered at planting with five years. These results demonstrate that the microbial community response varies depending on the analyzed property and planting time.


Main opportunities for success - 2014

• Start with a well-defined hypothesis that has its foundations firmly rooted in the international literature.

• Have a clear message• Develop a well-structured writing style• Understand the publishing process• Choose the right journal at the beginning of

the project

02/10/2013

Good luck!

Competências Básicas de Investigação Científica e de Publicação

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