170,180 research outputs found
Update on the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Systemic Sclerosis
No full textPurpose of Review Accumulating evidence suggests that gut microbiota affect the development and function of the immune system and may play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent studies reporting gastrointestinal microbiota aberrations associated with the systemic sclerosis disease state.Recent Findings The studies described herein have identified common changes in gut microbial composition. Specifically, patients with SSc have decreased abundance of beneficial commensal genera (e.g., Faecalibacterium, Clostridium, and Bacteroides) and increased abundance of pathobiont genera (e.g., Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Erwinia). In addition, some studies have linked specific genera with the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms in systemic sclerosis.Summary More research is needed to further characterize the gastrointestinal microbiota in systemic sclerosis and understand how microbiota perturbations can affect inflammation, fibrosis, and clinical outcomes. Interventional studies aimed at addressing/correcting these perturbations, either through dietary modification, pro/pre-biotic supplementation, or fecal transplantation, may lead to improved outcomes for patients with systemic sclerosis
Advancing Gastrointestinal Microbiota Research in Systemic Sclerosis: Lessons Learned from Prior Research and Opportunities to Accelerate Discovery
No full textDysbiosis is a feature of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). While a causal relationship between the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota and SSc pathogenesis has not been established, alterations in the GI microbiota are appreciated early in the SSc disease course. Moreover, recent research has illuminated specific microbial signatures that define SSc phenotypes. This review summarizes new research on the GI microbiome in SSc with a focus on technical advancements and the emerging study of the GI metabolome. This review also addresses diverse modalities for manipulating the GI microbiome with the hope of developing preventative treatment strategies to avert progression of SSc
Predicting the Progression of Very Early Systemic Sclerosis: Current Insights
No full textSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune connective tissue disease with distinct pathological hallmarks (ie, inflammation, vasculopathy, fibrosis) that may predominate at different stages in the disease course with varying severity. Initial efforts to classify patients with SSc identified a subset of patients with very early SSc. These patients possessed signs of SSc (eg, Raynaud phenomenon, SSc specific autoantibodies and/or nailfold capillary abnormalities) without fulfilling complete SSc classification criteria. Recognizing the inherent value in early diagnosis and intervention in SSc, researchers have endeavored to identify risk factors for progression from very early SSc to definite SSc. The present review summarizes the clinical phenotype of patients with very early and early SSc. Through a scoping review of recent literature, this review also describes risk factors for progression to definite SSc with a focus on the specific clinical features that arise early in the SSc disease course (eg, diffuse cutaneous sclerosis, interstitial lung disease, esophageal dysfunction, renal crisis, cardiac involvement). In addition to clinical risk factors, this review provides evidence for how biological data (ie, serological, genomic, proteomic profiles, skin bioengineering methods) can be integrated into risk assessment models in the future. Furthering our understanding of biological features of very early SSc will undoubtedly provide novel insights into SSc pathogenesis and may illuminate new therapeutic targets to prevent progression of SSc
Communicating Hydrological Hazard-Prone Areas in Italy With Geospatial Probability Maps
No full textThe recurrence of storm aggressiveness and the associated erosivity density are detrimental hydrological features for soil conservation and planning. The present work illustrates for the first time downscaled spatial pattern probabilities of erosive density to identify damaging hydrological hazard-prone areas in Italy. The hydrological hazard was estimated from the erosivity density exceeded the threshold of 3 MJ ha−1 h−1 at 219 rain gauges in Italy during the three most erosive months of the year, from August to October. To this end, a lognormal kriging (LNPK) provided a soft description of the erosivity density in terms of exceedance probabilities at a spatial resolution of 10 km, which is a way to mitigate the uncertainties associated with the spatial classification of damaging hydrological hazards. Hazard-prone areas cover 65% of the Italian territory in the month of August, followed by September and October with 50 and 30% of the territory, respectively. The geospatial probability maps elaborated with this method achieved an improved spatial forecast, which may contribute to better land-use planning and civil protection both in Italy and potentially in Europe
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe 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
L’evoluzione del profilo di bilinguismo in un gruppo di bilingui tardivi
No full textAlcuni studi indicano come lo sviluppo di capacità scolastiche (es. lettura) in L2 sembri essere determinato dalla competenza verbale in entrambe le lingue (es. Carlisle, Beeman, Davis & Spharim, 1999). Tale dato è stato confermato anche da ricerche che hanno indagato gli effetti dell’educazione bilingue in studenti con L1 minoritaria (Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, 2006). Sono state valutate le competenze verbali in L1 e L2 di un piccolo gruppo di bilingui tardivi (n=10), in due momenti diversi: fine prima e fine seconda
elementare. Inoltre è stato valutato lo sviluppo delle capacità di lettoscrittura. I risultati evidenziano, mediamente, uno spostamento da un profilo di dominanza in L1 ad uno in cui sembra dominare la lingua di scolarizzazione (Anderson, 2004). Da sottolineare, però, che nella maggior parte dei casi anche la competenza in L1 migliora. In relazione a ciò, emergono pattern differenti nelle prestazioni in letto-scrittura. Tali dati sembrerebbero
dunque confermare quelli presenti in letteratura che sostengono
l’importanza di considerare il livello di competenze verbali in entrambe le lingue come indice di sviluppo di capacità scolastiche
How Predictable are Temperature-series Undergoing Noise-controlled Dynamics in the Mediterranean
No full textMediterranean is thought to be sensitive to global climate change, but its future interdecadal variability is uncertain for many climate models. A study was made of the variability of the winter temperature over the Mediterranean Sub-regional Area (MSA), employing a reconstructed temperature series covering the period 1698 to 2010. This paper describes the transformed winter temperature data performed via Empirical Mode Decomposition for the purposes of noise reduction and statistical modeling. This emerging approach is discussed to account for the internal dependence structure of natural climate variability
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
No full textOphthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
Could psychopathic tendencies be displayed by correlations between intelligence, anxiety and depression?
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