1,720,967 research outputs found
Epidemiology and drug susceptibility of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in Italy in 2016-2020
No full textIntroduction: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental mycobacteria which may cause pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases. These organisms are difficult to treat due to their intrinsic drug-resistance. In Italy, no major nationwide study on NTM epidemiology and drug susceptibility was performed. Methods: Data on the epidemiology of 7,469 NTM clinical isolates identified in Italy in 2016-2020 and on the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1,506 of these strains were analysed. Results: Overall, 63 species were identified in 42 hospital laboratories located in 16 out of 20 regions, with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) being the most frequently isolated, followed by M. gordonae, M. xenopi, M. abscessus. The MICs of 12 drugs for MAC, M. xenopi, M. kansasii, M. abscessus, M. fortuitum and M. chelonae were interpreted for clinical significance (susceptible, intermediate, resistant) based on the guidelines published by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute in November 2018. Conclusions: Our data are in line with other nationwide studies and may be of value for further update of microbiological and clinical guidelines
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
Ozonized gel against four Candida species: A pilot study and clinical perspectives
Full text linkOzone therapy can display a wide range of clinical beneficial effects, including antimicrobial, immune-stimulant, analgesic, anti-hypoxic actions. However, there is still a paucity of data regarding the ozone fungicide activity. Oral Candida is the most common fungal infection in the mouth among denture wearers and people with weakened immune systems. In the case of generalized candidiasis or immunocompromised patients, systemic therapy is needed, while localized infections are treated with topic medications. However, many Candida strains are resistant to antifungal drugs. The aim of this preliminary analysis is to evaluate the antimycotic efficacy of a new ozonided oil (GeliO3), as a possible terapeutic alternative in local treatments of these infections, compared to chlorhexidine digluconate (Plak gel®). Chlorhexidine is a chemical synthesis disinfectant with a broad-spectrum antiseptic action, active against bacteria and fungi. Antimycotic activity was tested against the following four Candida species: C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, through an agar diffusion method. No significant differences were found between the growth inhibition zone diameters of the ozonized gel and chlorhexidine. The results indicated that the ozonized gel may help to combat Candida infections. Moreover, useful applications could be used to counteract Candida colonization of endosseous implants
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
Prevention of nosocomial legionellosis by best water management: comparison of three decontamination methods
No full textBackground: Since 2000, the National Health System has adopted international guidelines for assessing Legionella spp. in hospital water systems. The control of water contamination by Legionella spp. is still a matter of research concerning the most effective method in preventing nosocomial infections. Aim: To compare three different decontamination methods by monitoring colony-forming unit count and number of hospital-acquired legionellosis cases. A secondary objective was to evaluate the long-term effects of the preventive measures on the water pipes. Methods: A protocol was developed for the selection of high-risk sampling sites and for the testing of three disinfection methods over the course of 19 years: hyperchlorination and thermal shock (period A, 2000–2005); copper–silver ionization (period B, 2006–2010); and integration of pre-filtering, filtering, pipe-protecting products, and remote control with chlorine dioxide (ClO2) (period C, 2011–2018). Findings: The use of shock disinfection and hyperchlorination led to a decrease in contamination level immediately after the procedure, but then it rose again to the previous level in two months. Both copper–silver ionization and ClO2 disinfection showed a stable and durable decrease in contamination level. Throughout these three phases, six cases of Legionella spp. occurred during period A, six cases during period B, and three cases during period C. With regard to the damage of water pipes, effective copper–silver levels caused corrosion and calcification in water pipes. Conclusion: Both copper–silver ionization and ClO2 properly controlled Legionella spp. contamination. ClO2 significantly reduced the number of positive sites (P < 0.001) without damaging the pipelines
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