1,721,585 research outputs found
Infectious and inflammatory mechanisms in preterm birth and cerebral palsy
No full textBackground: International studies of women in preterm labor (PTL) and preterm pre-labor rupture of the membranes (pPROM) have shown a significant association between microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC), some cytokines and chemokines and preterm birth (PTB). These studies have been performed in countries with higher incidence of PTB than that in Sweden. Cerebral palsy (CP) has also been shown to be associated with infectious and inflammatory mechanisms in international epidemiological studies. Our aim was to examine the role of inflammatory mechanisms in PTB and CP in a setting with a low incidence of PTB and perinatal infections.Material and Methods: Amniotic fluid (AF) was retrieved transabdominally from 61 patients in PTL and 47 patients with pPROM, before 34 weeks of gestation in both groups. Forty-five women at term (= 37 weeks) were included. These women were scheduled for elective cesarean section after uncomplicated pregnancies. Cervical fluid was obtained from the external cervical os in all patients in PTL and in all term patients. Polymerase chain reaction analyses for Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis and culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were performed. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-18 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.In order to examine inflammatory mechanisms in CP, a population-based series of 148 preterm infants with spastic CP, born 1983-90, were included and matched with a control group (n=296). Subgroup analyses of patients with spastic diplegia and hemiplegia and those born at <32 and =32 weeks were performed. Maternal, antenatal and intrapartal variables were retrieved from obstetric records. Results: MIAC was detected in 16% of women in PTL and 25 % of women with pPROM. Patients in PTL with MIAC had significantly elevated levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-18. The levels of IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 were elevated in MIAC cases in women with pPROM. There was also a significant association between elevated levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and MCP-1 and short amniocentesis-delivery interval (= 7 days) and PTB (< 34 weeks) in women in PTL, whereas this association was less evident in women with pPROM. A receiver-operator-characteristic curve was used to identify the best cut-off levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in AF for delivery within 7 days. This value was used to define an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response rate was 46 % in the PTL group and 51% in the pPROM group. Elevated IL-18 and MCP-1 were related to an inflammatory response in the women in PTL; MCP-1 was also related to an inflammatory response in women with pPROM. There were higher levels of IL-18 and MCP-1 in the cervical fluid of women in PTL, compared with non-laboring women at term. There were elevated levels of MCP-1 in the cervical fluid of women in PTL who gave birth within 7 days or before 34 weeks of gestation, who had MIAC or had intra-amniotic inflammation.In the case-control study of CP, clinical chorioamnionitis/pyelonephritis, long interval between rupture of membranes and birth and admission-delivery interval <4 hours just significantly increased the risk of CP. Apgar scores of <7 at 5 and 10 minutes were strongly associated with an increased CP risk. Abruptio placentae and pathological non-stress test (reason for delivery) were significant risk factors for CP only in the moderately preterm and hemiplegic groups, whereas fever prior to delivery was a significant risk factor in the very preterm and spastic diplegic groups. Conclusion: The occurrence of intra-amniotic microbial invasion and inflammation in this population of Swedish women in PTL and pPROM was similar to that reported in data from populations with a higher incidence of PTB. In addition, our data support an association between antenatal infection/inflammation and CP.Background: International studies of women in preterm labor (PTL) and preterm pre-labor rupture of
the membranes (pPROM) have shown a significant association between microbial invasion of the
amniotic cavity (MIAC), some cytokines and chemokines and preterm birth (PTB). These studies have
been performed in countries with higher incidence of PTB than that in Sweden. Cerebral palsy (CP)
has also been shown to be associated with infectious and inflammatory mechanisms in international
epidemiological studies. Our aim was to examine the role of inflammatory mechanisms in PTB and
CP in a setting with a low incidence of PTB and perinatal infections.
Material and Methods: Amniotic fluid (AF) was retrieved transabdominally from 61 patients in PTL
and 47 patients with pPROM, before 34 weeks of gestation in both groups. Forty-five women at term
(≥ 37 weeks) were included. These women were scheduled for elective cesarean section after
uncomplicated pregnancies. Cervical fluid was obtained from the external cervical os in all patients in
PTL and in all term patients. Polymerase chain reaction analyses for Ureaplasma urealyticum and
Mycoplasma hominis and culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were performed. Interleukin (IL)-
6, IL-8, IL-18 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were analyzed with enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay.
In order to examine inflammatory mechanisms in CP, a population-based series of 148 preterm infants
with spastic CP, born 1983-90, were included and matched with a control group (n=296). Subgroup
analyses of patients with spastic diplegia and hemiplegia and those born at <32 and ≥32 weeks were
performed. Maternal, antenatal and intrapartal variables were retrieved from obstetric records.
Results: MIAC was detected in 16% of women in PTL and 25 % of women with pPROM. Patients in
PTL with MIAC had significantly elevated levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-18. The levels of IL-6, IL-8 and
MCP-1 were elevated in MIAC cases in women with pPROM. There was also a significant association
between elevated levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and MCP-1 and short amniocentesis-delivery interval (≤ 7
days) and PTB (< 34 weeks) in women in PTL, whereas this association was less evident in women
with pPROM. A receiver-operator-characteristic curve was used to identify the best cut-off levels of
IL-6 and IL-8 in AF for delivery within 7 days. This value was used to define an inflammatory
response. The inflammatory response rate was 46 % in the PTL group and 51% in the pPROM group.
Elevated IL-18 and MCP-1 were related to an inflammatory response in the women in PTL; MCP-1
was also related to an inflammatory response in women with pPROM. There were higher levels of IL-
18 and MCP-1 in the cervical fluid of women in PTL, compared with non-laboring women at term.
There were elevated levels of MCP-1 in the cervical fluid of women in PTL who gave birth within 7
days or before 34 weeks of gestation, who had MIAC or had intra-amniotic inflammation.
In the case-control study of CP, clinical chorioamnionitis/pyelonephritis, long interval between rupture
of membranes and birth and admission-delivery interval <4 hours just significantly increased the risk
of CP. Apgar scores of <7 at 5 and 10 minutes were strongly associated with an increased CP risk.
Abruptio placentae and pathological non-stress test (reason for delivery) were significant risk factors
for CP only in the moderately preterm and hemiplegic groups, whereas fever prior to delivery was a
significant risk factor in the very preterm and spastic diplegic groups.
Conclusion: The occurrence of intra-amniotic microbial invasion and inflammation in this population
of Swedish women in PTL and pPROM was similar to that reported in data from populations with a
higher incidence of PTB. In addition, our data support an association between antenatal
infection/inflammation and CP.
Keywords: preterm birth, preterm labor, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, intra-uterine infection, intra-amniotic inflammation,
interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-18, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, cerebral palsy, antenatal risk factors, chorioamnionitis
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
Analyzing the functional dynamics of technological innovation systems : A scheme of analysis
No full textVarious researchers and policy analysts have made empirical studies of innovation systems in order to understand their current structure and trace their dynamics. However, policy makers often experience difficulties in extracting practical guidelines from studies of this kind. In this paper, we operationalize our previous work on a functional approach to analyzing innovation system dynamics into a practical scheme of analysis for policy makers. The scheme is based on previous literature and our own experience in developing and applying functional thinking. It can be used by policy makers not only to identify the key policy issues but also to set policy goals. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Original Publication:Anna Bergek, S. Jacobsson, B. Carlsson, S. Lindmark and A. Rickne, Analyzing the functional dynamics of technological innovation systems: A scheme of analysis, 2008, Research Policy, (37), 3, 407-429.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2007.12.003Copyright: Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.http://www.elsevier.com
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“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
Attitudes towards mental illness in Malawi: a cross-sectional survey
Get PDF<p><b>Background:</b> Stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness are strongly linked to suffering, disability and poverty. In order to protect the rights of those with mental disorders and to sensitively develop services, it is vital to gain a more accurate understanding of the frequency and nature of stigma against people with mental illness. Little research about this issue has been conducted in sub Saharan Africa. Our study aimed to describe levels of stigma in Malawi.</p>
<p><b>Method:</b> A cross-sectional survey of patients and relatives attending mental health and non-mental health related clinics in a general hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Subjects were interviewed using an adapted version of the questionnaire developed for the World Psychiatric Association Program to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Because of Schizophrenia.</p>
<p><b>Results:</b> 210 subjects participated in our study. Most attributed mental disorder to alcohol and illicit drug abuse (95%). This was closely followed by brain disease (92.8%), spirit possession (82.8%) and then psychological trauma (76.1%). There were some associations found between demographic variables and single question responses, however no consistent trends were observed in stigmatising beliefs. These results should be interpreted with caution and in the context of existing research. Contrary to the international literature, having direct personal experience of mental illness seemed to have no positive effect on stigmatising beliefs in our sample.</p>
<p><b>Conclusions:</b> Our study contributes to an emerging picture that individuals in sub Saharan Africa most commonly attribute mental illness to alcohol/ illicit drug use and spiritual causes. Our work adds weight to the argument that stigma towards mental illness is an important global health and human rights issue.</p>
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe 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
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe 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
- …
