1,720,969 research outputs found
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
How Effectively Can Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Be Reversed When CFTR Function Is Pharmacologically Improved?
No full textA critical challenge in the age of advanced modulator therapies is to understand and determine how effectively chronic oxidative stress and oxidative stress-induced inflammation can be reversed and physiological balance restored when CFTR function is pharmacologically improved. The triple therapy with elexacaftor–tezacaftor–ivacaftor (ETI) suggests that CFTR activity in individuals with at least one F508del mutation can be partially restored to about 50% of normal levels. Although incomplete, the partial recovery of CFTR function has been shown to drastically lower sputum pathogen content, enhance microbiome diversity, and lower inflammation markers within the first year of treatment in adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis. However, despite these advancements, residual airway infection, oxidative stress and inflammation persist, with levels similar to other chronic lung conditions, like non-CF bronchiectasis. This persistence highlights the necessity for innovative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory treatments, in particular for individuals with advanced lung disease. To address this issue, emerging multi-omics technologies offer valuable tools to investigate the impact of modulator therapies on various molecular pathways. By analyzing changes in gene expression, epigenetic modifications, protein profiles and metabolic processes in airway-derived samples, it could be possible to uncover the mechanisms driving persistent oxidative stress and inflammation. These insights could pave the way for identifying new therapeutic targets to fully restore airway health and overall physiological balance
Lipidomic alterations in human saliva from cystic fibrosis patients
No full text: Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary metabolic disorder characterized by impaired traffic of chloride ions and water through membranes of the respiratory and gastrointestinal, that causes inadequate hydration of airway surfaces, dehydrated mucous secretions and a high-sodium chloride sweat. Although the classical presentation of the condition is well known, a better characterization of metabolic alterations related is need. In particular, the metabolic composition alterations of biological fluids may be influence by the disease state and could be captured as putative signature to set targeted therapeutic strategies. A targeted comprehensive mass spectrometry-based platform was employed to dissect the lipid content of saliva samples form CF patients, in order to investigate alterations in the lipid metabolic homeostasis related to the pathology, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa infection, pancreatic insufficiency, liver disfunction and diabetes-related complications
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
One year of treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in patients with cystic fibrosis homozygous for the F508del mutation causes a significant increase in liver biochemical indexes
No full text: Introduction: Modulators of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutated protein significantly improved the outcome of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). We describe 63 patients who were independently followed up in two CF regional centers (i.e., Campania and Tuscany regions). Methods: All patients were homozygous for the F508del mutation and were treated with lumacaftor/ivacaftor (LI) for 3 years, followed by 1 year of treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI). We studied the biochemical parameters of liver damage and cholesterol metabolism. Results: Beyond the improvement of BMI and lung function with LI treatment and even more with ETI, we found that the 3 years of LI treatment significantly improved liver function parameters (total and conjugated bilirubin, ALT, AP, and GGT), while the subsequent ETI treatment caused a significant increase of such parameters. Discussion: We confirm that treatment with LI does not correct hypocholesterolemia, whereas treatment with ETI significantly increases serum cholesterol. Such an increase is likely due to enhanced de novo biosynthesis, as indicated by the significant increase in serum lathosterol, and it is likely that the subsequent liver cholesterol accumulation may contribute to triggering inflammation and worsening liver biochemical indexes. The increase in serum bilirubin and ALT that we observed in approximately 94% and 84% of patients treated with ETI, respectively, suggests further investigation of the impact of ETI therapy on liver function indexes
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
Serum HDL and their subfractions are impaired in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
No full textBackground: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe post-COVID condition due to a delayed hyperimmune response to SARS-CoV-2. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are pivotal players in inflammatory and immune modulation through the remodeling of their subfractions. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate serum levels of cholesterol, HDL, and HDL subfractions (HDL-SUB) to define their role in the pathogenesis of MIS-C and their potential use as biomarkers of this condition. We analyzed serum cholesterol, HDL and HDL-SUB (by capillary electrophoresis) in relation to serum values of biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial damage (by microfluidic immunoassays) in 48 patients with MIS-C at hospital admission and in 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: Serum cholesterol, as well as HDL, were significantly lower in MIS-C patients than controls. Serum cholesterol was inversely correlated with all biomarkers of inflammation, confirming the impact of cytokines on reverse cholesterol transport, whereas HDL values were inversely correlated with serum biomarkers of endothelial damage, suggesting a role of HDL in endothelial damage in MIS-C patients. Furthermore, we found a remodeling of HDL-SUB with a more pronounced decrease in small HDL that have anti-inflammatory activity. Conclusions: These data confirm the severe impairment of reverse cholesterol transport in MIS-C and indicate serum HDL and HDL-SUB as potential useful diagnostic biomarkers of MIS-C
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe 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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