1,721,022 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
Preliminary Evaluation of Percutaneous Treatment of Echinococcal Cysts without Injection of Scolicidal Agent.
No full textPuncture, Aspiration, Injection of scolicidal agent, Re-aspiration is the most widely used percutaneous treatment of cystic echinococcosis (CE). Among its perceived risks is chemical sclerosing cholangitis, a serious complication due to the caustic effect of the scolicidal solution on the biliary tree, when a patent cystobiliary fistula occurs. To simplify the protocol, we decided to omit injection and reaspiration of the scolicidal agent and to implement a full course of albendazole (ABZ) therapy instead of the routine 1-month ABZ prophylaxis. We searched our databases for patients with CL (Cystic Lesion, suspected for CE), CE1, and CE3a cysts treated between October 2007 and January 2017 with percutaneous aspiration followed by at least 1 month of oral ABZ and with an ultrasound follow-up of at least 6 months. Fifteen patients matched our inclusion criteria. Follow-up ranged from 7 to 75 months. The oral ABZ course after the aspiration procedure ranged from 1 to 18 months. Eleven subjects (73.3%) had undergone a course of ABZ before the percutaneous procedure (min 15 days, max 16 months). Ten cysts (62.5%) had reached solidification (stage CE4) in 3 to 69 months. Four other cysts (26.7%) remained stable in stage CE3a, whereas two cysts (13.3%) reactivated to stage CE3b. Procedural perioperative complications occurred in 13.3% of patients, whereas complications during the follow-up occurred in 20% of patients. These proof-of-concept preliminary results are overall comparable with those reported in the literature for other percutaneous treatments, both in terms of response rate, relapse rate, and morbidity
Realizzazione di Nuova Tecnologia Microfluidica per lo Sviluppo delle Indagini Cellulari Elettrofisiologiche su Chip Polimerico
No full textCalcium and phosphorous enrichment of porous niobium and titanium oxides for biomaterial applications
No full textAnodic oxidation of niobium has been investigated in an electrolyte solution containing calcium phosphate and calcium acetate. The oxide layer morphology has been determined by combining 3D Atomic Force Microscopy images and cross-sectional Field Emission SEM measurements. The surface sensitivity of high-resolution X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy has been exploited to evaluate the chemical composition of the outermost oxide surface, a key feature in view of implant development. Anodic Spark Deposition (ASD) results in the formation of micrometer-thick oxide layers showing a porous morphology suitable for osseointegration purposes. Increasing the maximum potential attained during oxidation leads to an increase of the oxide thickness and pore size accompanied by a noticeable surface enrichment with calcium and phosphorus. Remarkably, a maximal Ca/P ratio of 1.8 was achieved for anodization at 250 V, promising for osseointegration thanks to the similarity with hydroxyapatite stoichiometry. Parallel experiments performed on titanium under the same conditions indicated a maximal Ca/P ratio of 1.3 and pores of smaller dimensions. The comparative analysis suggests that niobium may represent a promising alternative to titanium to be explored for implant development
Microfluidic device for cell screening and patch-clamp analysis
No full textThe purpose is to realize a Lab-On-Chip based device for cell screening and electrophysiological assay to introduce the Patch-Clamp as a routine clinical test. Patch-Clamping is the gold standard technique to investigate function and regulation of ion channels, specialized transmembrane proteins that play important roles in various physiological and pathological cell processes. The concept of ion channels as therapeutic targets or prognostic biomarkers attracts increasing interest, but the intrinsic limits of both traditional and automated patch-clamp technologies are a critical point for better understanding their roles in many diseases such as Channelopathies, Neurodegenerative diseases and Cancer .
The aim of the project is to develop a polymeric chip, designed for planar patch-clamp, adapting it to pathological cell screening. Preliminary results show the possibility to realize a seal, a tight junction formed between the cell membrane and the planar pore. Starting from one micro/nano-structured master it is possible to produce many polymeric PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS) replicas with well-defined geometry
Microfluidic polymeric device for improved planar patch-clamp
No full textIon channels are under-exploited membrane protein target class, due to the labour-intensive and low-throughput nature of traditional patch-clamp. Basic and clinical research require much efficiency, higher throughput and procedures simplification. Automatic devices, like the planar array patch-clamp (PAPC) may address these problems.
Our intention is to establish a PAPC based system: Planar-Patch-Clamp-Chip (PPCC) designed, developed and engineered to be accurate, easy to use and innovative to introduce the Patch-Clamp as a routine clinical test. SEM-FIB systems are used to determine the characteristics of the cell-planar pore interface. We are validating the prototype polymeric chips and developing a microfluidic array system
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
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