1,721,118 research outputs found
Total pain, opioids, and immune checkpoint inhibitors in the survival of patients with cancer
Full text link: Experimental and observational studies have shown that opioid analgesics may increase tumor growth, potentially reduce immunotherapy efficacy, and shorten survival. As a result of the lack of clinical data, the current rationale for continuing opioid analgesic treatment is based on animal models, which suggests that physical pain itself may potentially influence cancer growth and exert immunosuppressive effects. Total pain encompasses the various factors that patients may experience during their cancer journey: physical symptoms, social isolation/loneliness, psychological, spiritual/existential, and financial distress. These need to be screened and discussed with patients to help them cope with the treatment and disease. As each issue may affect survival, it is essential to identify them to understand how they might affect the patient's immune system, influence immunotherapy outcomes, and ultimately, survival. The question arises whether a single factor, such as the combination of opioids and immune checkpoint inhibitors, negatively affects treatment outcomes. While there is a risk of fostering opioid phobia, the complex interplay between total pain, quality of life, and the immune system must be considered. Thus, in studies that appropriately investigate the interactions between opioid analgesics and the immune system, it is essential to consider all the distress factors that patients may experience at each stage of their illness
CONDITIONS FOR PERCEPTUAL TRANSPARENCY
No full textWe review the conditions that are necessary for the perception of transparency and describe the spatio chromatic constraints for achromatic and chromatic transparent displays. These constraints can be represented by the convergence model and are supported by psychophysical data. We present an alternative representation of the constraints necessary for transparency perception that is based on an analogy with a model of colour constancy and the invariance of cone-excitation ratios. Recent psychophysical experiments are described that suggest that displays where the cone-excitation ratios are invariant produce a stronger impression of transparency than displays where the cone excitations are convergent. We argue that the spatial relations in an image are preserved when a Mondrian-like surface is partially covered by a transparent filter and therefore show an intriguing link between transparency perception and colour constancy. Finally, we describe experiments to relate the strength of the transparency percept with the number of unique patches in the image display. We find that the greater the number of surfaces in the display that are partially covered by a transparent filter the stronger the impression of transparenc
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
Job satisfaction of health professionals
No full textHealth profession has been traditionally considered as one of those professions at risk for psychological distress. While remarkable interest has been devoted to the burn-out syndrome, only recently have scholars and policy makers begun to pay attention to the factors promoting health professionals' satisfaction and gratification. Aim of the present study was to investigate general and domain-specific job satisfaction among 906 physicians and nurses working in various Italian hospitals. The influence of four variables on job satisfaction was investigated: type of profession (physicians vs. nurses), job seniority, the desire to change job, and the desire to change work place. Participants' suggestions to improve their ward and to increase their personal satisfaction were collected through open-ended questions. Results showed that physicians were more satisfied with their job than nurses, and that senior professionals were more satisfied than junior professionals. General satisfaction for the ward was mostly associated with leadership satisfaction and satisfaction with relationships with colleagues and superiors; negative and modest correlations were found between job satisfaction and burn-out. A material improvement of the ward, more personnel and an improvement in the relationships among colleagues were reported more frequently as the most important factors in order to improve the ward functioning. Higher salary and more adequate shifts and work load were reported more frequently as the most important factors in order to increase personal job satisfaction
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