1,721,169 research outputs found
Objective follow-up after laparoscopic repair of large type III hiatal hernia: Assessment of safety and durability - Reply
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Microstructure, state of water and proton conductivity of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)
No full textA detailed study of the microstructure, the transport properties and the state of water for fluorine-free sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (s-PEEK) membranes with a degree of sulfonation of about 50% is reported as a function of the membrane water content. SAXS curves show how 50% s-PEEK membranes at low and intermediate water contents are characterized by a poor hydrophobic/ hydrophilic phase-separation and narrow ionic domains (< 2 nm). For membrane water contents of up to 40%, all the water molecules contained in the membranes appear to be strongly bounded to the sulfonic groups and water molecules are unable to freeze. When the membranes are treated in water at temperatures higher than 80 C, membrane swelling starts and for water contents above 40-50% a better ionic microstructuring inside the membranes occurs. In highly swollen membranes part of the water molecules is in a less associated freezable bounded state. The presence of more mobile water molecules is responsible for the increase in the membrane proton conductivity and conductivity of the order of 0.1 S/cm has been recorded for s-PEEK with 69% of water content. © 2013 Elsevier B.V
Prognostic role of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in operated rectal cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground: Inflammation plays an important role in tumor growth. Novel serum blood biomarkers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), have been proposed as useful prognostic indexes in cancer patients. However, their role in rectal cancer is controversial. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted including MEDLINE/Pubmed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews through May 2022. The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality was appraised with the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) tool. Aim of the study was to summarize available literature on PLR, NLR, and LMR in patients with rectal cancer undergoing resection. Results: Forty-seven observational studies (14,205 patients) were included; there were 42 retrospective and 5 prospective cohort studies with an average MINORS score of 14.6 (range: 12–18). Worse overall survival was associated with high NLR (HR 1.81; 95%CI 1.52–2.15; p < 0.001), high PLR (HR 1.24; 95%CI 1.06–1.46; p = 0.009), and low LMR (HR 0.67; 95%CI 0.49–0.91; p = 0.01). High NLR and low LMR were also associated with disease-free-survival (HR 1.68; 95%CI 1.35–2.08; p < 0.001 and HR 0.71; 95%CI 0.58–0.87; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: NLR, PLR, and LMR are independent clinical predictors for overall survival in patients with rectal cancer treated with curative surgery. NLR and LMR are also good predictors for disease free survival. These biomarkers, which are readily available, appear optimal prognostic indexes and may help clinicians predict the prognosis of rectal cancer and develop individualized treatment strategies
Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with 2D or 3D video system technology: systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground: Standard laparoscopic colorectal surgery relies on 2D image systems in most centers. However, 3D vision has gained popularity and is used nowadays in a constantly rising number of units. Right hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis and lymph node dissection represents a surgical procedure that may benefit the most from 3D vision. The aim of the study was to summarize the available literature on the use of 2D vs. 3D video imaging in patients undergoing laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted including Medline/PubMed, Embase, and Scopus (PROSPERO registration number CRD 42022344764) through October 2022. The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The risk of bias was evaluated using the ROBINS-I tool. Certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines and GRADEpro to develop a summary of evidence tables. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Results: Five observational retrospective studies (496 patients, 275 2D and 216 3D) were included. One study was rated as having a critical risk of bias; the remaining had low to moderate risk. 2D laparoscopic right hemicolectomy patients showed longer anastomotic time in 3/3 studies (MD = 3.32; 95%CI, 1.58–5.05; p = 0.002) and an upward trend in operative time in 4/5 studies (MD = 9.98; 95%CI, −1.42, 21.37; p = 0.086) compared to 3D. The two image video systems had similar short-term outcomes, including the number of lymph nodes harvested (MD = −0.67; 95%CI, −2.47, 1.13; p = 0.47), morbidity (OR post-operative complications = 1.12; 95%CI, 0.71–1.77; p = 0.62), and length of stay (MD = 0.27; 95%CI, −0.59, 1.13; p = 0.9). Conclusions: 2D and 2D laparoscopic right hemicolectomy had similar complications rate, with a shorter anastomotic time along with a downward trend in overall operative time for 3D. Larger prospective randomized trials are awaited before definitive conclusions can be drawn
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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