1,721,037 research outputs found
Presynaptic paraneoplastic disorders of the neuromuscular junction: An update
Full text linkThe neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the target of a variety of immune-mediated disorders, usually classified as presynaptic and postsynaptic, according to the site of the antigenic target and consequently of the neuromuscular transmission alteration. Although less common than the classical autoimmune postsynaptic myasthenia gravis, presynaptic disorders are important to recognize due to the frequent association with cancer. Lambert Eaton myasthenic syndrome is due to a presynaptic failure to release acetylcholine, caused by antibodies to the presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels. Acquired neuromyotonia is a condition characterized by nerve hyperexcitability often due to the presence of antibodies against proteins associated with voltage-gated potassium channels. This review will focus on the recent developments in the autoimmune presynaptic disorders of the NMJ
Cannabinoids for painful dystonia in corticobasal syndrome: a report of three patients
No full textn.a
High anti-streptolysin-O titres and blood-brain barrier damage in narcolepsy type 1 in the first year after symptoms onset.
No full text
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
Headache and Dural Enhancement: Two Case Studies of Different Treatable Pathologies
No full textBackground: Hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP) and spontaneous intracranial hypotension are different treatable diseases, which should promptly be recognized and treated to prevent neurologic sequelae. Headache and dural enhancement are the main features of both diseases, thus differentiating between these 2 conditions can be difficult. Cases Description: We present 2 cases with headache and dural enhancement, in which the differential diagnosis was challenging at presentation because, in both cases, clear positional pain modification was not reported. Each patient was referred to us with the suspicion of a diagnosis actually affecting the other one. Based on further findings, which supported diagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension in the first case and of HP in the second one, we briefly review clinical, radiologic, and laboratory features, which can help in the differential diagnosis. Conclusions: An accurate diagnostic workup is mandatory to distinguish among HP and intracranial hypotension
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
Comparison of ice pack test and single-fiber EMG diagnostic accuracy in patients referred for myasthenic ptosis
No full textOBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of ice pack test (IPT) and single-fiber EMG (SF-EMG) in patients with suspected ocular myasthenia (OM) presenting with ptosis. METHODS: We studied consecutive patients referred for the clinical suspicion of OM. Patients underwent IPT and stimulated SF-EMG on the orbicularis oculi muscle. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the accuracy of IPT, SF-EMG, and their combination. RESULTS: We included 155 patients, 102 with OM and 53 with other diagnosis (OD). The IPT had a sensitivity of 86% (95% confidence interval [CI] 79-93) and a specificity of 79% (95% CI 68-90). SF-EMG showed a sensitivity of 94% (95% CI 89-98) and a specificity of 79% (95% CI 68-90). Overall, IPT and SF-EMG showed discordant results in 30 cases, 16 OM and 14 OD. The combination of IPT and SF-EMG, using the positivity of at least one test for OM diagnosis, increased the sensitivity to 98% (95% CI 95-100), reducing the specificity to 66% (95% CI 53-78), whereas using the positivity of both tests, we obtained a sensitivity of 82% (95% CI 75-90) and a specificity of 92% (95% CI 85-99). The negativity of both tests had a 94% (95% CI 87-100) negative predictive value. Comparison of the areas under the curve showed no differences in the diagnostic accuracy of IPT, SF-EMG, and their combinations. CONCLUSIONS: IPT and SF-EMG have similar diagnostic accuracy in patients with OM presenting with ptosis. The negativity of both tests strongly suggests another diagnosis. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class I evidence that both the IPT and SF-EMG accurately identify patients with OM
- …
