1,721,051 research outputs found
Rifaximin Reduces the Number and Severity of Intestinal Lesions Associated With Use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Humans
Full text linkThe intestinal microbiota might contribute to enteropathy associated with use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but there have been few human studies of this association. We performed a placebo-controlled study to determine whether a delayed-release antibiotic formulation (rifaximin-extended intestinal release [EIR]) prevents the development of intestinal lesions in subjects taking daily NSAIDs. Sixty healthy volunteers (median age, 26 y; 42% female) were given the NSAID diclofenac (75 mg twice daily) plus omeprazole (20 mg once daily), and either rifaximin-EIR (400 mg) or placebo, twice daily for 14 days. Subjects were assessed by videocapsule endoscopy at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment. The primary end point was the proportion of subjects developing at least 1 small-bowel mucosal break at week 2. Secondary end points were the change in the mean number of mucosal lesions and the number of subjects with large erosions and/or ulcers after 14 days of exposure. We detected mucosal breaks in 20% of subjects given rifaximin and in 43% of subjects given placebo (P =.05 in the post hoc sensitivity analysis). None of the subjects in the rifaximin group developed large lesions, compared with 9 subjects in the placebo group (P <.001). Our findings indicate that intestinal bacteria contribute to the development of NSAID-associated enteropathy in human beings. Clinical trial no: EudraCT 2013-000730-36
Management of colonic diverticular disease in the third millennium: Highlights from a symposium held during the United European Gastroenterology Week 2017
Full text linkDiverticulosis is a common anatomical condition, which appears to be age-dependent. Individuals who develop chronic gastrointestinal symptoms or complications are referred to as having diverticular disease. Although the diagnosis of this condition can be relatively straightforward, randomized controlled trials are scarce and management often follows tradition rather than principles of evidence-based medicine. This report deals with the topics discussed during a symposium held during the United European Gastroenterology Week (Barcelona, October 2017). During the meeting, the role of dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of diverticular disease and its treatment were thoroughly discussed, by examining the efficacy and mechanisms of action of the currently used drugs. Recent studies have shown the presence of dysbiosis in patients with diverticular disease and suggest an imbalance in favor of bacteria with pro-inflammatory and pathogenetic potential. These microbiota changes correlate with mucosal immune activation, mirrored by a marked increase of macrophages in colonic mucosa, both in the diverticular region and at distant sites. The low-grade inflammation, driven by bacteria-induced immune activation, could be involved in the pathophysiology of symptoms. As a consequence, pharmacological approaches targeting enteric bacteria (with poorly absorbed antibiotics, like rifaximin, or probiotics) or intestinal inflammation (with 5-ASA derivatives or rifaximin) have shown capability of controlling symptoms and also preventing complications, albeit more research is needed to establish the optimal regimen (daily dose and duration) of therapy. Well-designed randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), including homogeneous populations of patients, are therefore needed. The future of management of many GI diseases, including symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease, will rely on the so-called ‘microbiota-directed therapies’
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
Circulating Extracellular Vesicles and Their miR "Barcode" Differentiate Alcohol Drinkers With Liver Injury and Those Without Liver Injury in Severe Trauma Patients
Full text linkShort Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), released during tissue/cell injury, contain a "barcode" indicating specific microRNAs (miRs) that can uncover their origin. We examined whether systemic EVs possessing hepatic miR-signatures would indicate ongoing liver injury and clinical complications in trauma patients (TP). We grouped the patients of alcoholic drinkers into "alcohol-drinkers with liver injury (LI)" (EtOH with LI) or "alcohol-drinkers without LI" (EtOH w/o LI) and we compared these groups to "non-drinkers" (no EtOH). When we examined patient blood from the EtOH with LI group we found the total number of EVs to be increased, along with an increase in miR-122 and let7f—two EV-associated miRNAs—and several inflammation-associating cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-33. In contrast, all of the aforementioned readouts were found to be decreased in the EtOH w/o LI group. These novel data demonstrate that hepatocyte damage in alcohol-intoxicated trauma patients presenting with liver injury can be reflected by an increase in circulating serum EVs, their specific miR-"barcode" and the concomitant increase of systemic inflammatory markers IL-6 and IL-33. Anti-inflammatory effect of alcohol-drinking in EtOH w/o LI can be presented by a reduced number of hepato-derived EVs, no upregulation of IL-6 and IL-33, and a miR "barcode" different from patients presenting with liver injury.
Background: Alcohol abuse is associated with (neuro)protective effects related to (head) injuries, and with negative effects regarding infection rates and survival in severely injured trauma patients (TP). Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are released during tissue and/or cell injury, can contain a "barcode" including specific microRNAs (miRs) that uncover their origin. We examined whether EVs with a hepatic miR signature can be systemically measured, and whether they can indicate ongoing liver injury in alcohol-intoxicated TP and foretell clinical complications.
Patients/Methods: We enrolled 35 TP and measured blood EVs, IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-10 and IL-33, alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) concentration (BAC), GLDH, GGT, AST, ALT, leukocytes, platelets, and bilirubin. Within circulating EVs we measured the expression levels of miR-122, let7f, miR21, miR29a, miR-155, and miR-146a. Patients of alcohol-drinkers were grouped into "alcohol drinkers with liver injury (LI)" (EtOH with LI) or "alcohol drinkers without LI" (EtOH w/o LI) and compared to "non-drinkers" (no EtOH). We assessed systemic injury characteristics and the outcome of hospitalization with regard to sepsis, septic shock, pneumonia, or mortality.
Results: EtOH with LI patients had significantly increased rates of pneumonia vs. the EtOH w/o LI group. EVs, IL-6, and IL-33 levels were significantly increased in EtOH with LI vs. EtOH w/o LI group (p < 0.05). EV number correlated positively with ALT and IL-6 (p < 0.0001). Two miRs, miR-122 and let7f, were increased only in the blood EVs from the EtOH with LI group (p < 0.05). Five miRs, miR-122, let7f, miR-21, miR-29a, and miR-146a, were reduced in the blood EVs from the EtOH w/o LI group, vs. no EtOH (p < 0.05). Notably miR-122 correlated significantly with increased bilirubin levels in the EtOH with LI group (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Liver injury in alcohol-intoxicated TP is reflected by increased EV numbers, their specific miR barcode, and the correlated increase of systemic inflammatory markers IL-6 and IL-33. Interestingly, severely injured TP without liver injury were found to have a reduced number of liver-derived EVs, no observed inflammatory infiltration and reduced specific miR "barcode.
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe 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
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