1,721,104 research outputs found
Unraveling the Complexities of Mast Cells in Health and Disease
Full text linkAs we draw the curtain on this Special Issue dedicated to the intricate roles of mast cells (MCs) in health and disease, we reflect on the insights garnered from the array of research articles featured within the published papers of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) [...]
Hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency: current therapeutic approaches
No full textPurpose of review For decades, treatment options for hereditary angioedema (HAE) were limited by major adverse effects, insufficient efficacy, and difficult routes of administration. However, the growing body of knowledge regarding HAE pathophysiology has led to the development of innovative drugs for self-administered, on-demand therapy and for short- and long-term prophylaxis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the approved drugs and the development of HAE treatments.Recent findingsThe implementation of new therapies will improve the application of individualized action plans based on the key goals of minimizing the number of attacks and meeting the complex needs of patients.SummaryHAE is a rare genetic disease with a high impact on patients' quality of life due to the unpredictability and variable severity of attacks. Advances in HAE research have allowed optimization of attack management and individualization of therapeutic approaches
Current Understanding of the Immune Response after COVID-19 Vaccination
Full text linkThe global vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has been a monumental endeavor, marked by unprecedented collaboration between scientific researchers and pharmaceutical companies [...]
New drugs for the treatment of hereditary angioedema
No full textIntroduction: Revolutionary drugs have been developed and approved in the last 5 years for the treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Increased knowledge of HAE pathophysiology has led to the development of innovative drugs for self-administered on-demand therapy and for short- and long-term prophylaxis (LTP). This has rendered possible a personalized approach for patients, allowing greater control of symptoms, better quality of life and reduction in the incidence of adverse effects linked to old treatments. Areas covered: In this review we have highlighted which treatments are currently approved for HAE and some of the promising future therapies under development. Expert opinion: While the first generation of approved treatments improved disease control for most patients, innovative therapies may allow individualized action plans and reduce complexity of treatment. Switching therapies due to insufficient efficacy, patient preference or adverse events is becoming progressively feasible and common. New LTPs may lead to the achievement of attack-free remission, allowing us to hopefully reach complete disease control for all patients and further improving their quality of life. In particular, LTPs with longer administration intervals, and on-demand therapies administered via the oral route will have a key role and will set more prominent targets for the upcoming drugs
Management of Intermittent and Persistent Asthma in Adolescent and High School Athletes
No full textAsthma is the most common chronic condition during childhood and adolescence, affecting an estimated 8% of children and youngsters below 18 years in the United States and the United Kingdom. In adolescent athletes, asthma-like symptoms may represent a common consequence of regular sport practice. Asthma in young athletes poses several challenges, including the ambiguity of definitions and diagnosis of asthma resulting from exercise-induced symptoms, the best pharmacological treatments, and the nonpharmacological options for the management of disease and the challenges inherent to this age group. At a time when the regular practice of sports is increasingly being recommended for a healthy living, the support network around the young athletes is crucial to reduce the impact of asthma on their physical and emotional well-being. In this review, we examine the main issues around the definitions and clinical differentiations of asthma in young sport athletes. We discuss best practice approaches to improve the adherence to the clinical management, including nonpharmacological strategies directed at the family and trainers of athlete adolescents
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
Successful Combination of Remdesivir and Convalescent Plasma to Treat a Patient with Rituximab-Related B-Cell Deficiency and Prolonged COVID-19: A Case Report
Full text linkBackground: Treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in immuno-compromised patients with complete B cell depletion can be really challenging due to the lack of seroconversion and long-lasting disease. Case Report: We describe a case of long-lasting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a fe-male patient with rheumatoid arthritis who was treated with rituximab and continued to show B-cell depletion. An ongoing replication of SARS-CoV-2 was demonstrated for a period of 8 months when nasopharyngeal swabs were tested. She was treated once with remdesivir but without lasting resolution, and she was then treated with convalescent plasma but with a sim-ilar effect. Only with a combination of both treatments was clinical resolution achieved. The patient's lack of seroconversion and the prolonged course of the disease illustrate the im-portance of humoral immunity in resolving SARS-CoV-2 infection. This case report high-lights challenges in managing immunocompromised hosts, who may act as persistent shed-ders and sources of transmission. Conclusion: The combination of remdesivir and convalescent plasma resulted in successful-ly achieving clinical resolution of SARS-CoV-2 infection in our patient
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