1,720,957 research outputs found
Evaluation of a cost-effective gating strategy for CD4+T lymphocyte enumeration in HIV-infected individuals via flow cytometry
No full textBackground: Monitoring CD4+ T lymphocyte levels is a cornerstone in managing HIV infection, essential for assessing immune status and determining treatment strategies. However, the high cost of standard flow cytometry methods limits access to these diagnostic tools in low-income settings. This study evaluates a costeffective alternative method (AM) with a simplified gating strategy and reduced antibody use compared to the standard method (SM), which is based on PanLeucogating (PLG). Methods: This multicenter study analyzed 1,001 HIV-positive patient samples in a central laboratory serving six hospitals in Istanbul. SM used four antibodies (CD45/CD3/CD4/CD8), while AM utilized only CD4/CD8. Flow cytometric analysis was performed on a BD FACS Canto II system, and CD4* T cell percentages were compared between methods using Pearson's correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A strong correlation (r = 0.993, p < 0.001) was observed between AM and SM, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.339). However, AM systematically reported lower CD4* percentages, likely due to the absence of CD3-based gating and the use of FS/SS plots instead of CD45 for gating lymphocytes. Conclusion: With one of the largest datasets among similar studies, our findings suggest that AM, which uses 50 % fewer antibodies, is a cost-effective and viable alternative for CD4* enumeration in HIV monitoring. However, further validation in diverse epidemiological settings and clinical impact assessments are required before widespread clinical implementation
Kiperin Postbiotic Supplement-Enhanced Bacterial Supernatants Promote Fibroblast Function: Implications for Regenerative Medicine
No full textKiperin Postbiotics, defined as non-viable metabolic
products derived from probiotics, have gained attention as potential modulators of cellular
responses involved in tissue repair. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a postbiotic
supplement (PS)—composed of inactivated strains of Escherichia coli, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum—on fibroblast function, particularly in the context
of bacterial secretomes from common pathogenic strains. Methods: Human fibroblast cell
lines (HFF-1 and CCD-18Co) were treated with cell-free supernatants (CFS) from E. coli
ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, either
alone or in combination with the PS. Assessments included cell count, migration (via scratch
assay), oxidative stress levels, and expression of immune-related genes (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α,
DRD4). Results: CFS from E. faecalis significantly increased fibroblast counts, whereas
E. coli and S. aureus CFS reduced cell counts and elevated oxidative stress. Co-treatment
with PS reversed these effects in a strain-dependent manner by lowering oxidative stress
and partially restoring cell proliferation. Scratch assays demonstrated enhanced migration
in PS-treated fibroblasts. Gene expression analyses revealed no statistically significant
changes, though variable trends were observed across treatment groups. Conclusions:
PS may mitigate the harmful effects of certain bacterial secretomes while preserving or
enhancing beneficial ones. Its ability to reduce oxidative stress and promote fibroblast
proliferation and migration suggests a potential pro-regenerative role in vitro. Although
gene expression changes were limited, the results offer initial insights into the underlying
molecular responses influenced by postbiotic supplementation
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
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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
Change in the concentration of interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α in gingival crevicular fluid after probiotic use in patients undergoing treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances
No full textPurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of the use of chewable probiotic tablets on interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in patients undergoing treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances. MethodsThis prospective case-control study involved 60 patients undergoing treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances. Participants were divided into two groups. The test group was administered probiotic chewable tablets (Motiflor AS, Abfen Farma, Ankara, Turkey) once daily for 15 days, and the control group received routine orthodontic treatment without probiotics. GCF samples were collected from each participant at two time points: at the beginning of the treatment (T0) and on the 21st day (T1). Samples were obtained separately from all four canines using collection strips. The levels of IL-10 and TNF-alpha in GCF were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Statistical tests were performed to assess the normality of the distribution of quantitative variables. All analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism (version 9.1.1, GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA). Data normality was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Friedman's test for repeated measures was employed, followed by Dunn's post hoc test. ResultsThe variability that was observed for the IL-10 cytokine levels in the control group was significantly higher than that for the test group (p < 0.05). IL-10 levels in the test group increased while the TNF-alpha levels decreased. T1/T0 ratio for TNF-alpha was found to be lower in the test group compared to the control group (p = 0.002). ConclusionThe results suggest that probiotic tablets may play a role in modulating IL-10 and TNF-alpha levels during orthodontic tooth movement. However, the current study was limited to the first 21 days of mechanical force application to the teeth, and it is recommended to investigate the long-term effects or other factors affecting cytokine changes in future studies
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