1,721,061 research outputs found

    Lepri, Gemma

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    Very early and early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis

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    Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is easily diagnosed when the disease is evolved to skin fibrosis with obliterative vasculopathy and internal organs involvement. In the very early/early phase of SSc, the diagnosis remains very difficult because of the lack of validated diagnostic criteria. Actually, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and LeRoy classification criteria are not sufficiently sensitive to enable very early/early diagnosis of the disease, limiting the possibility of a precocious treatment. Therefore, in many cases, treatment is delayed for several years following the onset of Raynaud‘s phenomenon (RP) and even after the onset of the first non-RP symptom. For this reason, the very early/early diagnosis of SSc is today of pivotal importance. Recently, RP, puffy fingers turning into sclerodactyly and antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity are considered the three red flags for the suspicion of a very early SSc. Further signs such as positivity of other specific autoantibodies and/or videocapillaroscopy pattern may allow very early diagnosis of SSc. This may allow follow-up of the patient and start the appropriate therapeutic regimen to arrest the disease progression when an organ involvement is detected. The time gap between the onset of signs and the diagnosis can be considered the ‘window of opportunity‘ where the disease may be stopped before skin and internal organs are irreversibly damaged. Therefore, the main topic discussed in this chapter will be ‘why we need to distinguish between a very early and an early diagnosis of SSc‘

    One year in review 2017: systemic vasculitis

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    Systemic vasculitis is a group of heterogeneous, disabling disorders. Great interest has recently arisen in pathophysiology, clinical phenotypes and therapy of large- and small-vessel vasculitis. The general work hypothesis has been to promote research focused on disease-related pathogenetic pathways, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, thus leading towards more effective targeted treatments. Following the previous annual reviews of this series, we will hereby provide a critical digest of the recent literature on small- and large-vessel systemic vasculitis, with a specific focus on novel possible disease-related biomarkers and their impact on current and future therapies

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The 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

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    “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

    One year in review 2017: systemic lupus erythematosus

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    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that predominately affects women. It is characterised by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, however, its course and organ involvement are unpredictable. Although over the last few decades an improvement in survival for SLE patients has been observed, pathogenic mechanisms underlying this disease are still unclear. Comorbidities, due to both disease and treatment, as well as multiple aspects of SLE, are under intensive investigation. Following the previous annual reviews of this series, we hereby provide a critical digest of the recent papers on SLE focusing on pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, as well as current and new therapeutic strategies published over the last year
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