1,721,036 research outputs found
Epiluminescence microscopy versus clinical evaluation of pigmented skin lesions: Effects of operator's training on reproducibility and accuracy
No full textBackground: An acceptable level of reliability is a prerequisite for the introduction of epiluminescence microscopy (ELM) into the diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions. Objective: To assess the effects of a training program on the reproducibility and accuracy of ELM as compared to clinical evaluation. Methods: Before and after the program, 48 clinical images and their ELM counterparts were independently evaluated by seven participants. Reproducibility was measured by the κ index, accuracy by the rate of exact diagnoses (RED) assuming histology as a reference. Results: We observed (i) no effect of training on clinical reproducibility, (II) an improved reproducibility of ELM diagnoses of non-melanocytic lesions (NML) and melanomas but not of melanocytic nevi (MN), (iii) a greater increase in the clinical RED of NML and melanomas compared with MN and (iv) a similar though more pronounced increase in the RED on ELM. Conclusions: The effects of training were greater for ELM as compared to clinical diagnosis, and for NML and melanomas as compared to MN
Epidemiology of digital epiluminescence microscopy features of acquired melanocytic naevi
No full textThis study addressed the independent association of past and recent sun exposure indicators and other host factors with the prevalence of major digital epiluminescence microscopy (D-ELM) features such as the pigment network (PN), brown globules (BGs), and pigment dots (PDs) in acquired melanocytic naevi. In a consecutive series of 189 patients (median age 28 years; range 10-73 years) with one or more naevi as diagnosed on D-ELM, we evaluated 35 solitary lesions and one naevus randomly selected from each of the 154 patients with multiple lesions. D-ELM images were classified for the presence or absence of PN, BGs and PDs on two blind readings. Data analysis was based on multiple logistic regression. Patient age was positively associated with PN and inversely associated with BGs. The probability of PN increased with more than 110 days since last exposure to the sun, whereas a rapid decrease for BGs and PDs was observed after approximately 1 month. PDs were significantly more likely among lesions with 6-10 h/day of recent exposure. Sex, total lifetime hours of exposure, sunbed use, skin type and colour of hair exerted no effect. In conclusion, major D-ELM features appeared to differ in their relationship with sun exposure indicators. © 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Seasonal prevalence of digital epiluminescence microscopy patterns in acquired melanocytic nevi
No full textAvailable information of the effect of sun exposure on the biologic activity and morphologic characteristics of nevi is based on a few cross-sectional studies. According to these, nevi excised in summer show a higher mitotic count, a greater extent of the junctional component, and more frequent regression and inflammation
A cancer-registry-assisted evaluation of the accuracy of digital epiluminescence microscopy associated with clinical examination of pigmented skin lesions
No full textBackground: The accuracy of digital epiluminescence microscopy (D-ELM) as an adjunct to clinical examination for the diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions (PSLs) has seldom been evaluated. Objective: To compare the accuracy of the combined clinical/D-ELM (C/D-ELM) examination with that of the clinical examination alone. Methods: A total of 3372 PSLs from 1556 consecutive patients referred to a skin cancer clinic underwent clinical examination and a combined C/D-ELM examination. The reference diagnosis was established using the histology report of known surgical excisions plus a cancer-registry-based follow-up (duration 18 months) of benign C/D-ELM diagnoses. The two diagnostic approaches were compared for sensitivity, predictive value and false-positive rate. Results: The series included 55 melanomas and 43 basal cell carcinomas. About 50% of malignant misdiagnosed cases were identified solely through the cancer registry. The C/D-ELM diagnosis showed a greater sensitivity for melanoma < 0.76 mm thick (83 vs. 46% for clinical examination alone; ratio, 1.82) and basal cell carcinoma (79 vs. 49%; ratio, 1.62), a greater predictive value for melanoma (81 vs. 53%; ratio, 1.53) and a reduced total false-positive rate (0.3 vs. 0.9%; ratio, 0.31). Conclusion: D-ELM showed a potential to improve the clinical diagnosis of PSL. Copyright ® 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel
Intraobserver agreement in interpretation of digital epiluminescence microscopy
No full textAlthough a major problem with the classification of epiluminescence microscopy (ELM) findings is the lack of standard definitions, reproducibility of the criteria proposed has never been investigated
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
- …
