1,720,983 research outputs found
Plasma soluble HLA-G levels in a cohort of heart failure patients exposed to chemicals
No full textHeart failure (HF) is a syndrome caused by structural and/or functional cardiac abnormalities, resulting in a reduced cardiac output and/or elevated intracardiac pressures. Several studies reported a crucial role of immune activation and inflammation in the chronic heart failure (HF) pathogenesis, suggesting that pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators could be predictive markers of the HF development and/or progression. Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G), a tolerogenic and anti-inflammatory class I non-classical major histocompatibility complex molecule, was reported to be upregulated in patients diagnosed with HF, suggesting a tentative to regulate the inflammatory condition. We evaluated soluble (s)HLA-G plasmatic levels in patients with stable chronic heart failure at baseline visit and after 6 and 12 months. The 14 bp Insertion/Deletion polymorphisms of the HLA-G gene was also analyzed. We showed that in HF subjects, sHLA-G levels were higher in NYHA class II and III subjects (mild-severe symptoms) (6.11 ± 1.15 ng/ml; 8.25 ± 2.27 ng/ml, respectively) in comparison with NYHA class I subjects (no symptoms) (2.35 ± 0.43 ng/ml) (I vs II: p = 0.0156; I vs III: p = 0.0122). Moreover, the exposure to chemicals seems to affect sHLA-G levels, with higher sHLA-G levels in exposed patients (3.36 ± 5.12 ng/ml) in comparison with unexposed subjects (2.01 ± 2.84 ng/ml). The HLA-G 3'UTR 14 bp INS/DEL polymorphism correlated with sHLA-G, with the 14 bp INS/INS genotype associated with higher sHLA-G levels during the 12 months follow-up in unexposed subjects (p = 0.008). In conclusion, these results support a correlation between sHLA-G levels, genetics and HF disease in presence of work chemical exposition
Incremental exercise using progressive versus constant pedaling rates: A study in cardlac patients
No full textPURPOSE: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is widely used in clinical
assessment and exercise prescription. However, significant differences
in physiological responses can occur depending on testing protocol.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiopulmonary responses
to different incremental cycle pedaling cadences in cardiac patients.
■ METHODS: Eleven men with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 12 men
with chronic heart failure (CHF) performed 2 maximal cycle tests at
constant cadence (60-70 rpm, at fixed cadence) and at progressive
cadence. Peak values for oxygen uptake (VO2peak), workload (Wpeak),
and heart rate (HRpeak); ventilatory threshold (VT); and the oxygen
uptake (VO2) per unit work rate (WR) increment (VO2/WR) obtained
using 2 protocols were determined.
■ RESULTS: Vo2peak and Wpeak, respectively, were higher during increasing
cadence (INCR) compared with fixed cadence (FIX) protocol both in
patients with CAD (32.7 5.4 vs 28.1 7.0 mL ̇ kg1 ̇ min1, P .01;
214 42 vs 150 28 W, P .001) and in patients with CHF (20.3 7.4
vs 17.2 5.5 mL ̇ kg1 ̇ min1, P .006; 133 45 vs 104 33 W,
P .005). No differences were seen in HRpeak. Both in patients with CAD
and in patients with CHF, O2 (21.7 5.5 vs 16.8 5.3 and 12.3 7.4
vs 9.3 2.8 mL ̇ kg1 ̇ min1) and HR (114 14 vs 98 13 and 92
17 vs 80 17 bpm) at VT were significantly higher in INCR than in FIX
protocol. No differences were seen in workload at VT. Vo2/WR during
INCR protocol were higher in patients with CAD (13.4 1.8 vs 9.5
2.6 mL ̇ kg1 ̇ W1, P .006) and patients with CHF (13.6 4.1 vs
8.7 1.9 mL ̇ kg1 ̇ W1, P .006).
■ DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that in tests at fixed cadence, there
occurs an earlier activation of the anaerobic mechanisms leading to a premature
exhaustion before a cardiopulmonary endpoint has been achieved.PURPOSE: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is widely used in clinical assessment and exercise prescription. However, significant differences in physiological responses can occur depending on testing protocol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiopulmonary responses to different incremental cycle pedaling cadences in cardiac patients.METHODS: Eleven men with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 12 men with chronic heart failure (CHF) performed 2 maximal cycle tests at constant cadence (60-70 rpm, at fixed cadence) and at progressive cadence. Peak values for oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)), workload (W(peak)), and heart rate (HR(peak)); ventilatory threshold (VT); and the oxygen uptake (VO(2)) per unit work rate (WR) increment (Delta VO(2)/Delta WR) obtained using 2 protocols were determined.RESULTS: Vo(2peak) and W(peak), respectively, were higher during increasing cadence (INCR) compared with fixed cadence (FIX) protocol both in patients with CAD (32.7 +/- 5.4 vs 28.1 +/- 7.0 mL . kg(-1) . min(-1), P = .01; 214 +/- 42 vs 150 +/- 28 W, P = .001) and in patients with CHF (20.3 +/- 7.4 vs 17.2 +/- 5.5 mL . kg(-1) . min(-1), P = .006; 133 +/- 45 vs 104 +/- 33 W, P = .005). No differences were seen in HR(peak). Both in patients with CAD and in patients with CHF, VO(2) (21.7 +/- 5.5 vs 16.8 +/- 5.3 and 12.3 +/- 7.4 vs 9.3 +/- 2.8 mL . kg(-1). min(-1)) and HR (114 +/- 14 vs 98 +/- 13 and 92 +/- 17 vs 80 +/- 17 bpm) at VT were significantly higher in INCR than in FIX protocol. No differences were seen in workload at VT.Delta Vo(2)/Delta WR during INCR protocol were higher in patients with CAD (13.4 +/- 1.8 vs 9.5 +/- 2.6 mL . kg(-1). W(-1), P = .006) and patients with CHF (13.6 +/- 4.1 vs 8.7 +/- 1.9 mL . kg(-1) . W(-1), P = .006).DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that in tests at fixed cadence, there occurs an earlier activation of the anaerobic mechanisms leading to a premature exhaustion before a cardiopulmonary endpoint has been achieved
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
The prospective impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on short-term prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure
No full textAppropriate 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
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Ventricular Output in Patients with Heart Failure: A Per-Beat or Per-Minute Approach?
No full textLeft ventricular (LV) output is a predictor of adverse outcome in patients with heart failure. It can be evaluated using a per-beat approach, measuring stroke volume index (SVI), or a per-minute approach, calculating cardiac index (CI). However, the prognostic value of these two approaches has never been compared
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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