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Spasmolytic Effects of Aphanizomenon Flos Aquae (AFA) Extract on the Human Colon Contractility.
Full text linkThe blue-green algae Aphanizomenon flos aquae (AFA), rich in beneficial nutrients, exerts
various beneficial effects, acting in different organs including the gut. Klamin® is an AFA extract
particularly rich in -PEA, a trace-amine considered a neuromodulator in the central nervous
system. To date, it is not clear if -PEA exerts a role in the enteric nervous system. The aims of
the present study were to investigate the effects induced by Klamin® on the human distal colon
mechanical activity, to analyze the mechanism of action, and to verify a -PEA involvement. The
organ bath technique, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used. Klamin® reduced, in a
concentration-dependent manner, the amplitude of the spontaneous contractions. EPPTB, a traceamine
receptor (TAAR1) antagonist, significantly antagonized the inhibitory effects of both Klamin®
and exogenous -PEA, suggesting a trace-amine involvement in the Klamin® effects. Accordingly,
AphaMax®, an AFA extract containing lesser amount of -PEA, failed to modify colon contractility.
Moreover, the Klamin® effects were abolished by tetrodotoxin, a neural blocker, but not by L-NAME,
a nitric oxide-synthase inhibitor. On the contrary methysergide, a serotonin receptor antagonist,
significantly antagonized the Klamin® effects, as well as the contractility reduction induced by 5-HT.
The RT-PCR analysis revealed TAAR1 gene expression in the colon and the IHC experiments showed
that 5-HT-positive neurons are co-expressed with TAAR1 positive neurons. In conclusion, the results
of this study suggest that Klamin® exerts spasmolytic effects in human colon contractility through
-PEA, that, by activating neural TAAR1, induce serotonin release from serotoninergic neurons of
the myenteric plexus
Tas-102 in metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC): Efficacy, tolerability, and quality of life in heavily pretreated elderly patients: A real-life study
Full text linkBackground: TAS-102 is an oral monotherapy, combining trifluridine and tipiracil hydrochloride, indicated for the treatment of pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The aim of this real-life study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TAS-102 in heavily pretreated elderly patients with mCRC whose disease has progressed with standard therapies. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we enrolled 50 elderly patients >70 years of age (median age 78 years) with a diagnosis of mCRC who were previously treated or were not considered candidates for treatment with other available therapies. Patients aged >70 years with advanced colorectal cancer and with an ECOG performance status of grade 0 (n=18) or grade 1 (n=32) were included. Overall survival and progression-free survival were the primary endpoints, whereas objective response rate, tolerability, and quality of life were the secondary endpoints. Results: Treatment with TAS-102 appeared to be well tolerated and side effects were generally mild, achieving disease control and a benefit on quality of life. The median overall survival was 6.7 (95% CI 5.7-11.3) and the median progression-free survival was 2.1 months (95% CI 1.2-3.2), estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Conclusion: TAS-102 represents a manageable and effective therapeutic opportunity and appeared to be well tolerated with generally mild side effects in elderly patients with mCRC who were heavily pretreated with standard 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
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