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Adrenal morphology and function in acromegalic patients in relation to disease activity.
No full textVisceromegaly is a common consequence of
acromegaly. However, few studies investigated the chronic
effects of growth hormone on adrenal glands. Our aim was
to evaluate adrenal morphology and function in a cohort
of acromegalic patients in relation to disease activity.
Twenty-six acromegalics (10 males and 16 females) and 21
healthy subjects were investigated. Gland morphology was
evaluated by computerized axial tomography, measuring
central, lateral, and medial adrenal segments. Uncontrolled
acromegalics showed increased volume of all adrenal
segments, higher urinary free cortisol (UFC), and lower
morning adrenocorticotropic hormone in comparison with
healthy subjects. However, normal cortisol levels after
low-dose dexamethasone suppression test indicated a preserved
regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal
axis. In addition, uncontrolled patients showed greater
medial segment of right gland, higher UFC, and aldosterone
levels with respect to controlled patients. All acromegalics
did not show any difference in adrenal size when
grouped according to UFC/24 h levels. In addition, no
difference was found in any of the parameters between
normotensive and hypertensive patients. In conclusion, our
findings confirm that acromegaly affects adrenal size as
well as other organs. In addition, we report a stimulatory
effect of growth hormone on adrenal function, although the
regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is
preserved
Serum Anti-Thyroglobulin Autoantibodies Are Specific in Predicting the Presence of Papillary-like Nuclear Features and Lymphocytic Infiltrate in the Thyroid Gland
Full text link(1) Background: Previous studies have reported a correlation between serum anti-Thyroglobulin-antibodies (TgAb) and papillary thyroid carcinoma. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether serum TgAb and anti-thyroid-peroxidase antibody (TPO) positivity was also related to pre-neoplastic histological changes such as papillary-like nuclear features (PLNF) and with the presence of lymphocytic infiltrate (LI) in thyroid surgical specimens. (2) Methods: The study was retrospectively carried out on 70 consecutively recruited patients who underwent thyroidectomy for benign process and whose TgAb and TPOAb values were retrieved from clinical records. Histological sections of thyroid surgical samples were revised, looking for PLNF and lymphocytic infiltrate. HBME1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. (3) Results: Our results showed a significant association between TgAb, PLNF, and lymphocytic infiltrate. The presence of TgAb was highly specific, but less sensitive, in predicting the presence of PLNF (sensitivity = 0.6, specificity = 0.9; positive predictive value (PPV) = 0.88; negative predictive value (NPV) = 0.63). TgAb positivity showed a good association with the presence of lymphocytic infiltrate (sensitivity = 0.62, specificity = 0.9; PPV = 0.88 and NPV = 0.68). HBME1 immunoreactivity was observed in the colloid of follicles showing PLNF and/or closely associated with LI. (4) Conclusions: The presence of PLNF and LI is associated with serum TgAb positivity. The presence of TgAb and of LI could be triggered by an altered thyroglobulin contained in the HBME1-positive colloid, and could be a first defense mechanism against PLNF that probably represent early dysplastic changes in thyrocytes
Association between coping strategies and psychological adjustment after small burn injuries. A cross-sectional study
No full textObjective: This study aimed at describing the coping strategies used by patients of small burns (≤ 20% body surface area) at the early stage of rehabilitation process and to analyze the effect of coping strategies and body image dissatisfaction on psychiatric symptoms and quality of life. Method: Sixty-nine patients firstly admitted to an out-patient burn unit were involved in the study. Coping response to burn trauma was investigated using the Brief-COPE, while the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, the Self-report Clinical Inventory, and the Body Uneasiness Test were used respectively to assess post-burn quality of life, psychiatric symptoms, and body image dissatisfaction. Results: Avoidant coping strategies were related to poor mental quality of life and symptoms of obsessivity, depression, anxiety, and psychoticism. Furthermore, body image dissatisfaction was related with symptoms of obsessivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatization. No significant predictor was found for interpersonal sensitivity and paranoia. Conclusions: The findings remark the role of coping strategies in modulating the psychological adjustment and the psychopathological morbidity in the very early stage of burn recovery and rehabilitation. Beyond the effect of coping, body image distress significantly contributed to worsen psychological outcome
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COPING STRATEGIES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT AFTER SMALL BURN INJURIES. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
No full textObjective: This study aimed at describing the coping strategies used by patients of small burns (<= 20% body surface area) at the early stage of rehabilitation process and to analyze the effect of coping strategies and body image dissatisfaction on psychiatric symptoms and quality of life.Method: Sixty-nine patients firstly admitted to an out-patient burn unit were involved in the study. Coping response to burn trauma was investigated using the Brief-COPE, while the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, the Self-report Clinical Inventory, and the Body Uneasiness Test were used respectively to assess post-burn quality of life, psychiatric symptoms, and body image dissatisfaction.Results: Avoidant coping strategies were related to poor mental quality of life and symptoms of obsessivity, depression, anxiety, and psychoticism. Furthermore, body image dissatisfaction was related with symptoms of obsessivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatization. No significant predictor was found for interpersonal sensitivity and paranoia.Conclusions: The findings remark the role of coping strategies in modulating the psychological adjustment and the psychopathological morbidity in the very early stage of burn recovery and rehabilitation. Beyond the effect of coping, body image distress significantly contributed to worsen psychological outcome
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
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