1,721,268 research outputs found
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
An open-label, multicentre trial to evaluate the vaginal bleeding pattern of the combined contraceptive vaginal ring NuvaRing
No full textObjective: The objective of this multicentre, non-controlled, open-label study is the evaluation of the bleeding patterns during the use of a vaginal combined contraceptive, its safety in relation to occurrence of adverse effects, its efficacy as a contraceptive method and user compliance. Study design: Healthy female volunteers (N = 165), asking for contraception, were enrolled to participate in the study. Each subject was given seven vaginal rings, releasing an average amount of 120 μg etonogestrel (ENG) and 15 μg ethinylestradiol (EE) per day. Study period was 7 cycles. A total of 878 cycles was valid for statistical analysis. The primary parameter, (breakthrough bleeding and/or spotting), was recorded for each cycle. The subjects were asked to report any adverse effect experienced during the treatment period, general physical and gynaecological examinations were performed and haematological blood tests were taken. Results: Breakthrough bleeding/spotting occurred in 5.01% cycles (44 out of 878 cycles, of whom 37 were breakthrough spotting only). Absence of withdrawal bleeding during the ring-free period was reported in 1.94% cycles (17 out of 878). Forty-one subjects (24.8%) reported 66 events that were potentially drug-related. The most frequently drug-related events were weight increase (10 cases), headache (9 cases), nausea (4 cases). No pregnancy was reported during the study period. Haematology and chemical chemistry tests showed no clinically significant abnormality. Conclusions: In the present study, NuvaRing ® has shown to be a valid contraceptive method to ensure optimal cycle control with low incidence of irregular bleeding and altered withdrawal bleeding. The low incidence of gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, vomiting) may be related the low hormonal dose and to the vaginal delivery of hormones which avoids the gastrointestinal tract. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
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
Endometriosis in Italy: From cost estimates to new medical treatment
No full textEndometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, which induced a chronic inflammatory reaction. The data collected from Italy showed that around 3 million women are affected by endoemtriosis and the condition was predominantly found in women of reproductive age (50% of women were in the 29-39 age range), only 25% of women were asymptomatic. The associated symptoms can create an impact in general physical, mental, and social well-being. Endometriosis is associated with severe dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, ovulation pain, cyclical, or perimenstrual symptoms, with or without abnormal bleeding, infertility, and chronic fatigue. The annual cost for hospital admission can be estimated to be in a total around 54 million euros. The average time for right diagnosis is around 9 years still today and it follows a long and expensive diagnostic search. Therapies can be useful to relieve and sometimes solve the symptoms, encourage fertility, eliminate endometrial lesions, and restore the anatomy of the pelvis. For medical therapy, several different preparations (oral contraceptives, progestogenics, gestrinone, danazol, and GnRHa) and new options (GnRH antagonists, aromatase inhibitors, estrogen receptor beta agoinist, progesterone receptor modulators, angiogenesis inhibitors, and COX-2 selective inhibitors) are available.Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, which induced a chronic inflammatory reaction. The data collected from Italy showed that around 3 million women are affected by endoemtriosis and the condition was predominantly found in women of reproductive age (50% of women were in the 29-39 age range), only 25% of women were asymptomatic. The associated symptoms can create an impact in general physical, mental, and social well-being. Endometriosis is associated with severe dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, ovulation pain, cyclical, or perimenstrual symptoms, with or without abnormal bleeding, infertility, and chronic fatigue. The annual cost for hospital admission can be estimated to be in a total around 54 million euros. The average time for right diagnosis is around 9 years still today and it follows a long and expensive diagnostic search. Therapies can be useful to relieve and sometimes solve the symptoms, encourage fertility, eliminate endometrial lesions, and restore the anatomy of the pelvis. For medical therapy, several different preparations (oral contraceptives, progestogenics, gestrinone, danazol, and GnRHa) and new options (GnRH antagonists, aromatase inhibitors, estrogen receptor beta agoinist, progesterone receptor modulators, angiogenesis inhibitors, and COX-2 selective inhibitors) are available
Activin A: a possible marker for liver transplant outcome
No full textActivin A, a homodimeric protein consisting of two ßA subunit, is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) superfamily. This protein is involved in different physiological process: regulation of pituitary gonadotrophin secretion, stimulation, of spermatogonial proliferation and induction of erythroid and mesoderm differentiation (De Bleser et al., 1997). Activin A is produced by different cell types, including hepatocytes; these cells also express specific membrane receptors (Xu et al., 1995). The binding between activin A and its receptors activate a “cascade” of events such as apoptosis in the centrolobular region, inhibition of DNA (Schwall et al., 1193) and increase of collagen I synthesis (Sugiyama et al., 1998). Activin A inhibits hepatocytes proliferation induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, HGF or EGF stimulate the hepatocyte synthesis of activin A (Yasuda et al., 1993). Partial hepatectomy in rats is followed by a maximal expression of activin A after 24 h (Kogure et al., 1995). Several studies suggest that activin A may be involved in regulation of hepatocytes proliferation and represents a potential inhibitor of hepatic regeneration (Fausto et al., 1995). We designed the present study in order to analyze the serum activin A levels in patients receiving a liver transplant (n=6
Estrogen, cognition and female ageing
No full textStarting from fetal life, estrogens are crucial in determining central gender dimorphism, and an estrogen-induced synaptic plasticity is well evident during puberty and seasonal changes as well as during the ovarian cycle. Estrogens act on the central nervous system (CNS) both through genomic mechanisms, modulating synthesis, release and metabolism of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and neurosteroids, and through non-genomic mechanisms, influencing electrical excitability, synaptic function and morphological features. Therefore, estrogen's neuroactive effects are multifaceted and encompass a system that ranges from the chemical to the biochemical to the genomic mechanisms, protecting against a wide range of neurotoxic insults. Clinical evidences show that, during the climacteric period, estrogen withdrawal in the limbic system gives rise to modifications in mood, behaviour and cognition and that estrogen administration is able to improve mood and cognitive efficiency in post-menopause. Many biological mechanisms support the hypothesis that estrogens might protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD) by influencing neurotransmission, increasing cerebral blood flow, modulating growth proteins associated with axonal elongation and blunting the neurotoxic effects of beta-amyloid. On the contrary, clinical studies of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and cognitive function have reported controversial results, indicating a lack of efficacy of estrogens on cognition in post-menopausal women aged >or=65 years. These findings suggest the presence of a critical period for HRT-related neuroprotection and underlie the potential importance of early initiation of therapy for cognitive benefit. In this review, we shall first describe the multiple effects of steroids in the nervous system, which may be significant in the ageing process. A critical update of HRT use in women and a discussion of possible prospectives for steroid use are subsequently proposed
- …
