1,720,991 research outputs found
Nasal lavage with Mupirocin for the treatment of surgically recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis
No full textObjectives/hypothesisTo examine the efficacy and tolerability of topical mupirocin for the management of surgically recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) associated with Staphylococcus aureus infection.Study designProspective open-label pilot study.MethodsPatients with surgically recalcitrant CRS who had positive nasendoscopically guided cultures for Staphylococcus aureus were treated with twice daily nasal lavages containing 0.05% Mupirocin and lactated ringers salts. The duration of treatment was 3 weeks. Patients were assessed before and after treatment in terms of nasendoscopic findings, microbiology results, and Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20) and visual analogue scale questionnaires.ResultsFifteen of 16 patients had improved nasendoscopic findings after treatment. Twelve of 16 patients noted overall symptom improvement. Fifteen of 16 patients had negative swab results for Staphylococcus aureus after treatment. Only minimal adverse effects were experienced.ConclusionsNasal Lavage with 0.05% Mupirocin may represent an effective and well tolerated alternative treatment for postsurgical recalcitrant CRS.Brent Uren, Alkis Psaltis, Peter-John Wormal
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
Advancements in acoustic drug delivery for paranasal sinuses: A comprehensive review
Get PDFAvailable online 27 July 2023Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) impacts patients' quality of life and healthcare costs. Traditional methods of drug delivery, such as nasal sprays and irrigation, have limited effectiveness. Acoustic Drug Delivery (ADD) using a nebulizer offers targeted delivery of drug to the sinuses, which may improve the treatment of CRS. This review examines the influence of aerosol particle characteristics, aero-acoustic parameters, inlet flow conditions, and acoustic waves on sinus drug delivery. Key findings reveal that smaller particles improve the ADD efficiency, whereas larger sizes or increased density impair it. The oscillation amplitude of the air plug in the ostium is crucial for the ADD efficiency. Introducing acoustic waves at the NC-sinus system's resonance frequency improves aerosol deposition within sinuses. Future research should address advanced models, optimizing particle characteristics, investigating novel acoustic waveforms, incorporating patient-specific anatomy, and evaluating long-term safety and efficacy. Tackling these challenges, ADD could offer more effective and targeted treatments for sinus-related conditions such as CRS.Oveis Pourmehran, Kavan Zarei, Jeremie Pourchez, Sarah Vreugde, Alkis Psaltis, Peter-John Wormal
Efficacy of using a hydrodebrider and of citric acid/zwitterionic surfactant on a Staphylococcus aureus bacterial biofilm in the sheep model of rhinosinusitis
No full textBackground: Biofilms in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients are associated with recalcitrant disease patterns. Citric acid/zwitterionic surfactant (CAZS) has been shown to have significant efficacy at in vitro biofilm eradication. Unique hydrodebrider systems have been shown to have effective antibiofilm efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the CAZS/hydrodebrider treatment on Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in the sheep model of CRS. Methods: Forty-two sheep frontal sinuses were inoculated with S. aureus, followed by 7 days of biofilm growth. Sinuses were randomized to one of nine treatment groups: control, hydrodebrider with saline or CAZS (killed on day 0 or day 7 posttreatment), CAZS, or saline flush (killed on day 0 or day 7 posttreatment). Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) was used to confirm extent of biofilm reduction. Samples of each sinus were taken, assessing cilia morphology using electron microscopy. Results: A mean of 37.22 ± 9.65% of control (no treatment) CSLM images taken showed biofilms. Both CAZS flush and CAZS/hydrodebrider treatments showed initial improvements in biofilms but biofilm regrowth followed treatment, 14.74 ± 9.58% to 18.91 ± 12.14% and 15.60 ± 13.92% to 24.70 ± 3.66%, respectively (p > 0.05). Saline/hydrodebrider treatments showed a nonsignificant improvement in biofilm treatment, which was maintained, 18.34 ± 11.85% to 12.04 ± 10.28% (p > 0.05). Cilial morphology grade was significantly worse in the CAZS treatment groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CAZS solution (with and without a hydrodebrider system) can significantly adversely affect cilia morphology. The hydrodebrider system, when combined with saline, may be a useful treatment adjunct for mucosal biofilms.Rowan Valentine, Josh Jervis-Bardy, Alkis Psaltis, Lor Wai Tan, Peter-John Wormal
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“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
Get PDFWe 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
Biocompatibility and pharmacokinetics of fluticasone-eluting sinus implant in a rabbit model
No full textBackground: A novel, bioabsorbable, fibrinogen-based implant has been developed as a mucosal dressing after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). This implant can be formulated with fluticasone propionate (FP) for local elution of corticosteroid to reduce postoperative inflammation and promote mucosal healing. Objective: This study investigated the biocompatibility and pharmacokinetics of the implant in a rabbit model.
Methods: Implants with and without FP were placed on both intact and demucosalized maxillary sinuses of 33 New Zealand White rabbits. Sinuses with either intact or denuded bone without implants acted as controls. Histopathologic assessments were carried out at 5, 15, and 28 days. Concentrations of FP in the maxillary sinus mucosa, nasal cavity mucosa, and plasma were measured for up to 44 days. Results:
Implants placed on intact mucosa or denuded bone were grossly integrated within 15 days. Minimal foreign body reaction was seen with negligible differences for inflammation, fibrosis, or bone remodeling among controls, sinuses with the implant, or sinuses with the implant plus FP, at all time points. All samples also showed complete or near-complete percentage reepithelialization at 28 days, although the denuded bone controls demonstrated greater percentage reepithelialization at 5 days compared with denuded bone with the implant or implant plus FP (p 140 ng/g up to 44 days. Plasma concentrations of FP were generally very low and were undetectable after day 7. Conclusions: The implant and the implant plus FP seemed to be biocompatible in rabbits. The implant plus FP effectively eluted steroid locally over at least 44 days, with negligible plasma concentrations. Further studies are warranted regarding potential therapeutic applications in patients undergoing ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis.Vishal S. Patel, Evan Walgama, Alkis Psaltis, Francois Lavigne, Steven D. Pletcher, Peter H. Hwan
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe 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
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