1,720,981 research outputs found
Effects of calcifediol versus cholecalciferol on 25(OH)D3 serum levels, appendicular muscle strength, and physical performance in post-menopausal women
No full textBackground: Post-menopausal women generally present reduced serum levels of vitamin D, reduced VDR expression in skeletal muscle cells, and a gradual loss of muscle mass and muscle function. The relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D3] levels and muscle strength has been extensively investigated, even though there is no agreement in literature. Therefore, aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of vitamin D on 25(OH)D3 levels, muscle strength, and physical performance in post-menopausal women, comparing calcifediol and cholecalciferol.
Material and methods: In this prospective study we included postmenopausal women, dividing them into two groups, according to the prescription performed (calcifediol or cholecalciferol). We evaluated at the baseline (T0) and after 6 months (T1): serum levels of 25(OH)D3, appendicular muscle strength, using the Hand Grip Strength Test (HGS) and the Knee Extensor Strength Test (KES), and physical performance, using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB).
Results: We evaluated 205 post-menopausal women, mean aged 6928±916 years, 103 treated with calcifediol and 102 with cholecalciferol. In Table 1 we showed the results.
Table 1 Outcome measures assessed at the baseline and after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation.
Calcifediol T0 (n=103) Calcifediol T1 (n=103) P values
25(OH)D3 (ng/ml) 31.74±13.03 51.80±19.85 <0.001
HGS (kg) 15.54±6.65 18.29±3.85 0.014
KES (kg) 14.49±6.92 17.05±5.62 0.050
SPPB 8.41±3.32 9.70±2.14 0.008
Cholecalciferol T0 (n=102) Cholecalciferol T1 (n=102) P values
25(OH)D3 (ng/ml) 35.15±11.57 40.28±13.04 0.118
HGS (kg) 15,36±6.06 16.38±5.14 0.257
KES (kg) 12.12±5.74 12.58±5.67 0.627
SPPB 7.81±3.66 8.02±3.41 0.638
Results are expressed as means±S.D. Analysis was performed using a paired t-test.
Conclusions: Our results showed that post-menopausal women treated with calcifediol had significant improvements in serum levels of 25(OH)D3, muscle strength, and physical performance
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
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
impact of visceral adiposity on trabecular bone score in obese postmenopausal women: a cohort study
No full textBackground: Higher BMI values are associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD) resulting in a site-specific protective effect for fragility fractures. However, pathophysiologic influence of central adiposity on bone quality may oppose the seemingly positive influence of a greater mechanical loading with higher body masses. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of visceral fat on trabecular bone microarchitecture in postmenopausal obese women.
Materials and methods: In this study we reported data from medical records of obese postmenopausal women (BMI ≧30 kg/m2). In this population we assessed BMD at lumbar spine (LS BMD) and at femoral neck (FN BMD), Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), VAT volume and VAT mass. We divided our population into quartiles of VAT volume. SPSS 21.0 was used to assess the differences between groups in TBS, according to cut-off proposed by Silva et al. [1].
Results: Data of 226 women were reported in table 1.
Table 1
Total (n=226) VAT2,371 cm3 (n=56) P value
Age (years) 64.56±8.42 63.26±8.87 63.86±7.90 65.25±9.11 65.87±7.57 0.332*
BMI (kg/m2) 34.18±3.32 33.00±2.26 33.58±2.80 34.34±2.83 35.83±4.42 <0.001*
TBS 1.17±0.14 1.23±0.14 1.18±0.15 1.17±0.12 1.11±0.13 <0.001*
LS BMD 1.091±0.18 1.083±0.17 1,101±0.20 1.086±0,17 1.093±0.17 0.984*
LS T-score −0.715±1.53 −0.79±1.49 −0.56±1.73 −0.78±1.44 −0.70±1.46 0.982*
*Kruskal–Wallis test for independent samples.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that visceral fat might play a key role in bone microarchitectural changes in obese women. TBS might be used to identify obese individuals at highest risk of impaired bone strength. However, additional researches to identify mechanisms linking greater adiposity to adverse effects on bone are needed.
Reference: 1. Silva BC, et al. “Trabecular bone score: a noninvasive analytical method based upon the DXA image”. J Bone Miner Res 2014; Mar 29(3): 518–30
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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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