1,721,089 research outputs found
Water and sodium imbalance in COPD patients
Full text linkWater and sodium imbalance in COPD patients. G. Valli, A. Fedeli, R. Antonucci, P. Paoletti, P. Palange. Water retention and hyponatraemia are typically observed in the final stages of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the onset of edema is a poor prognostic factor. For several years the pathogenesis of edema in COPD patients was attributed to heart impairment because of pulmonary hypertension, but the evidence that cardiac output is often adequate for the metabolic demands has suggested, since 1960, that the pathogenesis of edema in these patients would be correlated with gas exchange impairment and in particular with carbon dioxide (CO2) retention. The gas exchange impairment induces, in these patients several hormonal abnormalities: renin (Rn), angiotensin II (AnII), aldosterone (Ald), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), vasopressin (ADH) and endothelial factors are some of the factors involved. The systemic response to hypercapnia has the effect of reducing the renal blood flow and, as a result, increasing water and sodium retention with the final effect of edema and hyponatraemia. The aim of this brief review is to highlight the current knowledge on renal /hormonal abnormalities in COPD and their therapeutic implications
On the Property-based Verification in SoC Design Flow Founded on Transaction Level Modeling
No full textIn this paper we present the Properties Specification Language (PSL) utilization in a system level verification flow for System on Chip (SoC) designs. A compositional approach is proposed and two property-based techniques are described and compared in terms of property refinement effort and simulation speed delay
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
Etoposide, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil and interferon alpha-2b in elderly gastric cancer patients: a pilot study.
No full textA total of 23 advanced gastric cancer patients older than 65 years received 500 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil i.v. on days 2-4, 120 mg/m2 vepesid i.v. on days 2-4, 150 mg/m2 6S-leucovorin on days 2-4, and 5 MU/m2 interferon alpha-2b on days 1-5, with cycles being repeated every 3 weeks. Toxicity was severe at an interferon (IFN) dose of 5 MU/m2; only one patient tolerated this dose. In 18 patients an IFN dose of 3 MU/m2 and in 3 other patients a dose of 4 MU/m2 could be given without producing toxicity. At an IFN dose of 5 MU/m2 the most common toxicities encountered were stomatitis (grade 4 in 1 patient and grade 3 in 12 patients), leukopenia (grade 4 in 1 patient and grade 3 in 5 patients), and thrombocytopenia (grade 3 in 3 patients). Two patients achieved a complete response and eight showed a partial response, resulting in an overall response rate of 45\% [95\% confidence interval (CI), 25\%-64\%]. The median survival was 7 months for all patients and 9 months for responding patients. In conclusion, without substantially increasing the toxicity, IFN can be added to the etoposide/leucovorin/5-fluorouracil combination, at a dose of 3 MU/m2. To verify the possible enhancement by IFN of the activity of this combination, a randomized trial is under way
Breast cancer developing after therapy for Hodgkin's disease.
No full textTwo patients developed breast cancer 14 and 8 years after treatment of Hodgkin's disease. Both had received mediastinal irradiation and MOPP chemotherapy. Because of the increased risk of breast cancer in women treated for Hodgkin's disease, as reported in the literature, we suggest the early initiation of periodic screening for breast cancer, to detect possible neoplasms at a more treatable stage
Properties Incompleteness Evaluation by Functional Verification
No full textVerification engineers cannot guarantee the correctness of the system implementation by model checking if the set of proven properties is incomplete. However, the use of model checking lacks widely accepted coverage metrics to evaluate the property completeness. The already existing metrics are based on time-consuming formal approaches that cannot be efficiently applied to medium/large systems. In this context, the paper proposes a coverage methodology based on a combination of static and dynamic verification that allows us to reduce the evaluation time with respect to pure formal approaches. The joining point between static and dynamic verification is represented by a fault model targeting functional descriptions. Functional fault simulation and dynamic automatic test pattern generation are used to quickly estimate the capability of properties in detecting functional faults. This provides a first estimation of the property completeness. Then, if necessary, model checking is used to complete the analysis, avoiding the underestimation of the property coverage that can be obtained due to the lack of exhaustiveness of dynamic verification. The proposed approach is theoretically founded and its effectiveness is compared with already existing techniques. In addition, experimental results to confirm the theoretical results are provided
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
Osservare e valutare nel PNRR. Flussi informativi e criteri valutativi per città e territori nel nuovo ciclo di politiche pubbliche.
No full textQuesto contributo analizza i primi risultati di un'indagine avviata nel gennaio
2021 sul Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR). Si esplorano i flussi
informativi e le valutazioni nel processo di sviluppo del piano, con particolare
attenzione alla governance. L'autore rileva criticità nella struttura del PNRR,
sottolineando la mancanza di un quadro di coerenza spaziale e una governance
che limita il coinvolgimento degli enti territoriali. La revisione del PNRR nel
luglio 2023 presenta elementi contraddittori, sollevando domande sulla
coerenza e sull'allocazione delle risorse. In conclusione, l'articolo evidenzia la
necessità di valutazioni approfondite e del coinvolgimento degli enti territoriali
per garantire il successo del piano.This contribution analyzes the first results of a survey launched in January 2021
on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Information flows and
assessments are explored in the plan development process, with a particular
focus on governance. The author notes criticality in the structure of the PNRR,
stressing the lack of a framework of spatial coherence and governance that
limits the involvement of local and regional authorities. The revision of the
PNRR in July 2023 presents contradictory elements, raising questions about
consistency and resource allocation. In conclusion, the article highlights the
need for in-depth assessments and the involvement of local and regional
authorities to ensure the success of the plan
- …
