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    Retreatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir in cirrhotic patients with genotype-4 who failed a previous interferon-free regimen: A case series

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    Background The novel available interferon (IFN)-free regimens significantly improved the sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), without important side effects and with shorter duration of treatment. In a subset of patients, however, the treatment failure (TF) was due to the presence of resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) that lead to virological breakthrough (BT) or relapse. We analysed in this case series the role of RAS on the TF in cirrhotic patients with genotype (GT)4, treated with a previous IFN-free regimen, and retreated with the combination of sofosbuvir (SOF)/velpatasvir (VEL) for 12 or 24 weeks, without ribavirin (RBV). Methods We included in this analysis all patients with GT4 who failed a previous IFN-free treatment, with the presence of RAS at BT or relapse. All patients were retreated with a fixed combination of SOF/VEL for 12/24 weeks, without RBV. We evaluated the SVR and the MELD score change after the treatment. Results Seven patients were described. All were cirrhotic, Child–Pugh A ( n=5), B ( n=2); baseline RAS were detected in 4/7 subjects; at post-treatment detection, NS5 RAS were: F28S ( n=1), Q30K ( n=2), S30G ( n=1), NS3 were: S122R ( n=1), S122G ( n=2), D168V ( n=3). All retreated patients gained SVR. MELD score improved in all subjects with a median change of 3 points. No significant side effects or adverse events were reported. Conclusions The combination SOF/VEL could be considered for the retreatment of cirrhotic GT4 patients who failed a previous IFN-free treatment with the presence of RAS in NS3 or NS5 regions. </jats:sec

    Role of ribavirin in the treatment of hepatitis C virus-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia with interferon-free regimens

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    Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is the most common extrahepatic manifestation of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), with the presence of symptoms in 10-15% of cases. There have been encouraging data regarding immunological and clinical responses in patients treated with the novel combinations of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), but the role of ribavirin (RBV) in the treatment of MC has not yet been demonstrated. We prospectively enrolled 132 patients affected by MC and CHC, and virological, immunological and clinical responses were evaluated at 12 weeks after completion of treatment. All subjects were treated with interferon (IFN)-free regimens according to clinical guidelines, with or without RBV. All patients achieved a virological response. A complete immunological response (CR) was observed in 71 subjects (53.8%), a partial response in 44 (33.3%), and no response in 17 (12.8%). Ten patients showed a complete resolution of symptoms (7.6%), and 31 showed a significant improvement (23.5%). CR was significantly higher in patients taking RBV (71.1 vs. 44.8%, p < 0.001) and in treatment-naïve patients (62.5 vs. 43.3%, p < 0.001). In logistic regression analysis, duration of HCV infection of less than 20 years (OR 2.448; 95% IC 1.335-6.202; p = 0.019), treatment-naïve status (OR 2.885; 95% IC 1.404-9.660; p = 0.025) and the use of RBV (OR 6.961; 95% IC 3.912-26.885; p < 0.001) were predictors of CR. In MC patients, IFN-free regimens are effective and well tolerated, and RBV seems to significantly increase the immunological response and promote a decline in cryocrit

    Treatment with daclatasvir and sofosbuvir for 24 weeks without ribavirin in cirrhotic patients who failed first-generation protease inhibitors

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    Treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed the triple therapy with first generation of protease inhibitors is not still defined. The combined use of sofosbuvir (SOF) and daclatasvir (DCV) seems to be promising due to higher genetic barrier, good tolerance and effectiveness

    Cefiderocol for the Treatment of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections Caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: A Case Series and Literature Review

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    Introduction: The treatment of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bloodstream infections (BSI) remains challenging due to the organism's intrinsic multidrug resistance and the potential side effects of commonly used first-line antibiotics. Methods: Here, we describe four cases of S. maltophilia BSI treated with cefiderocol (≥&nbsp;72&nbsp;h) in different Italian hospitals. Additionally, we conducted a PubMed search to identify other studies reporting cases of S. maltophilia BSI managed with cefiderocol. Results: We reviewed a total of 8 cases of S. maltophilia BSI [median age 52.5 years (Q1–Q3&nbsp;27.5–61.0), 50% males] treated with cefiderocol, including ours. BSI sources were mainly central venous catheters (62.5%) and the lower respiratory tract (25.0%). Cefiderocol was used as first-line therapy in 87.5% of patients (7/8), with a median treatment duration of 14&nbsp;days (IQR 6.2–16.0). Combination therapy was administered in 62.5% of cases. Infection source control was required in 75.0% and achieved in 40.0%. Clinical success was observed in 62.5% of patients, with microbiological eradication in 87.5%. In-hospital mortality occurred in 37.5% of cases, with one death directly attributable to S. maltophilia. No significant differences were observed in terms of outcomes between cefiderocol monotherapy and combination therapy. Conclusions: Based on our findings and a review of the literature, cefiderocol-based regimens show promise as an effective treatment option for S. maltophilia BSI, warranting further investigation in larger studies

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The 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

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    “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

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    We 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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