1,721,145 research outputs found
FRESHWATER CYANOBACTERIA, IDENTIFIED BY MICROSCOPIC AND MOLECULAR INVESTIGATIONS ON A COLONIZED FOUNTAIN SURFACE: A CASE STUDY IN PALERMO (SICILY, ITALY)
Full text linkCyanobacteria or blue algae are ubiquitously present in both fresh and brackish water
environments. They also grow in conditions of high humidity, colonizing stones or
monuments and fountain surfaces, and creating thick biofilms able to induce biodeterioration
in the constituent materials of artefacts. As well as several photoautotrophic
organisms, cyanobacteria belong to the microorganisms identified as primary colonizers,
playing an important role in stone artwork deterioration.
In this study, an analysis was made of the biofilm collected from the stone fountain of
the Two Dragons in Palermo (Italy), revealing the presence of cyanobacterial colonies by
optical microscopy, due to their peculiar auto-fluorescence. Furthermore, molecular investigations
by qPCR (quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) were utilized to gather
quantitative information, and phylogenetics analysis was used to confirm the Thioredoxin
reductase (TrxR) gene as a suitable molecular marker. The results highlight the presence
of cyanobacteria as the main taxa, whose growth is induced by microclimatic and
environmental conditions, and by the physical characteristics of the stone surface.
Identification of microbial populations living on stone artworks is the starting point for
successful control and conservation strategies, which can help to define the correct
protocols to block cellular activity and to find appropriate methods for removing biofilm,
as well as counteracting possible recolonization
Epidemiology and natural history of hepatitis C virus in the elderly
No full textThe authors focused on the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the elderly. We agree entirely with their conclusion that many anti-HCV-positive elderly patients have recovered from the disease or are asymptomatic carrier
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
Treatment of active chronic hepatitis with cyclophosphamide.
No full textTwenty patients with active chronic hepatitis, classified on the basis of the treatment into three groups, have been studied: (1) patients treated with cyclophosphamide (10 patients); (2) patients treated with cyclophosphamide after cycles of corticosteroid therapy (four patients); (3) patients treated with corticosteroid (six patients).
In all patients we observed clinical, biochemical and immunological changes during and after treatment.
Hepatic needle-biopsy was performed in all patients before treatment. The histological picture was rechecked after the first cycle of therapy in twelve patients.
The results obtained in the three groups of patients have been statistically compared.
Cyclophosphamide treatment produces an improvement of general conditions and a persistent normalization of several biochemical and immunological data, especially in those patients in which active chronic hepatitis was not in an advanced stage (type A aggressive form). The histological picture showed no changes after treatment
The microsomal antibody (LKM) in liver pathology: its association with other autoantibodies
No full textPrimary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): clinical, laboratory and survival analysis in children and adults
No full textBackground: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an uncommon disorder, rarely diagnosed in children, moreover, data on its natural history and survival are still lacking. Aim. The study was undertaken to compare clinical, laboratory and survival rates in two series of PSC: one in a pediatric group (group A) and the other in an adult population (group B). Methods: Group A included 9 patients (5 males, 4 females, mean age 10 yrs, range 7-15); group B included 28 patients (19 males, 9 females, mean age 32 years, range 19-60). The mean follow-up was 5.2 years in group A and 6.9 years in group B (range 1-14 years). ERCP and colonoscopy were performed in each case. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: At presentation children showed significantly higher levels of IgG and AST compared to adults (p < 0.05); moreover, interface hepatitis occurred in 50% of children and in 14.2% in adults (p = ns). During follow-up the following major events occurred: oesophageal blee..
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
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