1,721,423 research outputs found
The role of parental cognitive ageing in the intergenerational mobility of cognitive abilities
No full textThis paper studies intergenerational transmission of cognitive abilities from parents to children, highlighting the role of parental cognitive ageing measured during adulthood, net of their cognitive abilities measured in adolescence. We investigate the life-cycle of parental cognitive abilities on offspring’s cognitive abilities within the British National Child Development Study (NCDS). We find that children benefit not only from the stock of cognitive abilities their mothers and fathers hold as adolescents, but also from cognitive evolution their parents achieve as adults. Furthermore, we find that favourable parental cognitive ageing is particularly important for low ability offspring, pointing to a potential role of cognition in delivering more effective mitigation and nurturing. When analysing three subsequent generations, we find that the transmission of late parental cognition is strong in the offspring with high education origins, in particular for the those in the upper tail of the cognitive abilities distribution. We quantify the economic impact of the cognitive ageing transmission, and find that one standard deviation increase in late parental cognition can be approximated to an average of 1.7% increase in offspring earnings
Adherence to generic v. brand antidepressant treatment and the key role of health system factors
No full textOne of the major challenges with antidepressant (AD) use is poor adherence and early treatment discontinuation. In addition to socio-demographic and clinical variables, treatment discontinuation may also be related to the capacity of the health system to assure and maintain continuity and intensity of care. Among health system factors that may interfere with adherence to pharmacological treatment, use of generic drugs may play a key role. It has been argued that, although the lower cost of generics may favour persistence on treatment, a widespread a priori scepticism about their effectiveness and safety by doctors and patients may have an opposite effect. This compelling research question has recently been addressed by an observational cohort study that involved 16 778 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who received a new depression diagnosis and initiated generic v. brand AD therapy. The study found that generic initiation was associated with improved adherence. The benefits resulted from the lower out-of-pocket cost associated with generic ADs. In this commentary, we discuss the main findings of this study in view of its methodological strengths and limitations, and we suggest implications for policy
3D scaffolds prepared from platelet rich plasma versus conventional plastic surface for culturing adipose-derived canine mesenchymal stem cells and stromal vascular fraction cells
No full text3D scaffolds prepared from Platelet Rich Plasma versus conventional plastic surface for culturing adipose-derived canine Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Stromal Vascular Fraction cells.
Suelzu C., Conti V., Basini G., Ramoni R. and Grolli S.
Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Università di Parma
OBJECTIVE: Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are considered a valuable tool for regenerative medicine applications. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a heterogeneous population of cells derived from adipose tissue, represents a valid source of MSCs. We evaluated the ability of canine MSCs and adipose-derived SVF cells to be amplified in vitro by exploiting, in addition to the canonical plastic adhesion, a three-dimensional matrix obtained by gelling Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Platelet Poor Plasma (PPP). The aim was to evaluate the possibility of obtaining autologous preparations capable of supporting MSCs and SVF cells growth for the "point of care" application in the veterinary clinic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1. MSCs growth on plastic surface vs 3D fibrin matrix. Total cell number, cell doubling time and cell doubling number of MSCs grown on plastic surface were compared to MSCs cells grown inside a 3D-fibrin matrix prepared by mixing PPP or PPP (50%v/v), DMEM, thrombin (10% v/v) and calcium gluconate (100mg/ml, 10%v/v). 2. SVF growth on plastic surface vs 3D fibrin matrix. SVF cells prepared by collagenase type-I digestion were cultured either on conventional culture dishes or within a 3D fibrin matrix. Total cell number, cell doubling time and cell doubling number were determined for both culture conditions until P3. 3.Phenotypic characterization by RT-PCR of MSCs and SVF cells. Gene expression was compared between MSCs and SVF grown in different culture conditions, i.e. plastic surface versus 3D fibrin matrix. A set of typical MSCs markers and gene involved in their biological properties were evaluated.
RESULTS: Canine MSCs grow within 3D fibrin-based matrices, demonstrating a shorter doubling time and a higher duplication rate when compared to cells grown on the plastic surface: the number of cells obtained is about seven-fold higher in the 3D environment after 144 hours of culture (p<0.01). Moreover, the cells included herein can be frozen and sub-cultured. In our experimental setup, the use of PRP instead of PPP in the preparation of the matrix does not modify cell replication rate. RT-PCR characterisation of cells cultured within the 3D matrix confirms the expression framework of MSCs markers. Furthermore, 3D environment improves SVF cells replication rate, producing at the first culture passage, a mean 1.5-fold increase in cell number.
CONCLUSION: 3D matrices prepared with autologous PRP or PPP are suitable for canine MSCs and SVF cells cultures. Cells grow faster than in standard 2D culture on the plastic surface, while they maintain their panel of gene expression. Furthermore, they can be sub-cultured and frozen for future applications. These results could contribute to set-up more effective MSCs-based therapies, with advantages regarding time shortening for the production of adequate amounts of cells to be applied in the clinical practice
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
Hydropinotherapy with sulphurous mineral water as complementary treatment to improve glucose metabolism, oxidative status, and quality of life
Full text linkHydropinotherapy is a salus per aquam (Spa) treatment suitable as a complementary approach to treat several diseases, which strongly affect the quality of life (QoL). Hydropinotherapy with sulphurous mineral water exerts benefits thanks to components, such as hydrogen sulphide, which is considered mainly responsible for antioxidant and hypoglycaemic effects. Such properties, linked from each other, could favour an improvement in patients’ QoL. However, data on humans are scarce. This study aimed to investigate whether a cycle of sulphurous hydropinotherapy was able to modify plasma levels of glucose and reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) and improve QoL in patients suffering from several chronic disorders. A prospective, observational study involved patients with gastrointestinal diseases who received a prescription of a cycle of sulphurous hy-dropinotherapy (S-HT). Age-and sex-matched control group was enrolled (No S-HT). Glycaemia and plasma concentration of ROMs were measured in all subjects. The impact of spa treatment on the QoL was assessed using the Short Form 36 Health Status Survey questionnaire (SF-36). All parameters were measured at baseline and at the end of a 2-week treatment. Between the groups, no differences were found in glycaemia and ROMs at baseline. In the S-HT group, a reduction in glycaemia and ROMs, both in respect to baseline (p = 0.005 and p = 0.031, respectively) and to control group, as shown by the delta value calculated, as the difference between the values at 2 weeks and baseline (p = 0.0009 and p = 0.0001, respectively). In the S-HT, delta ROMs was the best predictor of delta glycaemia with a direct linear correlation (beta = 0.559, 95% CI 0.471 to 0.647, p < 0.0001). In the S-HT, the SF-36 total score was improved both when compared with baseline (p = 0.002) and with No S-HT (p = 0.001). Sulphurous hydropinotherapy induces a decrease in glycaemia and ROM levels, also ameliorating the patients’ QoL. Therefore, it could be considered a useful complementary therapeutic approach
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
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
A Hybrid Clustering-Genetic Solution Procedure for the Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows
No full text(in attesa di pubblicazione
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