1,721,085 research outputs found
"Crossing Time, Intersecting Space: The Work of Laure Prouvost and Camille Henrot" in Ucronia: Towards the Creation of Eccentric Words. Cosmogonies and Cosmographies in the Work of Laure Prouvost and Camille Henrot
No full textMOG-expressing teratoma followed by MOG-IgG-positive optic neuritis
No full textMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most frequent demyelinating disease in young adults and despite significant advances in immunotherapy, disease progression still cannot be prevented. Promotion of remyelination, an endogenous repair mechanism resulting in the formation of new myelin sheaths around demyelinated axons, represents a promising new treatment approach. However, remyelination frequently fails in MS lesions, which can in part be attributed to impaired differentiation of oligodendroglial progenitor cells into mature, myelinating oligodendrocytes. The reasons for impaired oligodendroglial differentiation and defective remyelination in MS are currently unknown. To determine whether intrinsic oligodendroglial factors contribute to impaired remyelination in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), we compared induced pluripotent stem cell-derived oligodendrocytes (hiOL) from RRMS patients and controls, among them two monozygous twin pairs discordant for MS. We found that hiOL from RRMS patients and controls were virtually indistinguishable with respect to remyelination-associated functions and proteomic composition. However, while analyzing the effect of extrinsic factors we discovered that supernatants of activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) significantly inhibit oligodendroglial differentiation. In particular, we identified CD
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis followed by recurrent or monophasic optic neuritis in pediatric patients
No full textBackground: Some pediatric patients with inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system disorders cannot be classified under any of the established disease entities, making their treatment and prognosis difficult. Objective: The objective of this study is to characterize a subgroup of pediatric patients with recurrent demyelinating central nervous system disorders. Methods: This study includes a case series of pediatric patients with monophasic or recurrent acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) who later presented with either monophasic or recurrent optic neuritis (ON). Results: We describe seven patients with a median follow-up of six years (five females, two males) who presented at a median age of 6 years (range 4-8 years) with monophasic (n = 4) or recurrent ADEM (two to four attacks) followed by monophasic (n = 3) or recurrent ON (two to nine attacks). Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was typical for ADEM (n = 6) with complete or almost complete resolution of lesions on follow-up. Cerebrospinal (CSF) studies at the time of ADEM showed a pleocytosis in six patients and were negative for oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in all. In all patients high titers for serum anti-MOG antibodies were detected. Conclusion: ADEM followed by ON is a rare but distinct clinical phenotype among pediatric patients. Further studies are needed to allow recommendations on treatment or prognosis
Age-Dependent Seroprevalence of JCV Antibody in Children
No full textProgressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is an opportunistic central nervous system infection, caused by the John Cunningham virus (JCV). PML may occur during treatment with immunosuppressive agents or monoclonal antibodies such as natalizumab. The JCV seroprevalence increases with age with a seropositivity of 60% in the adult human population. In this study, we analyzed sera from 109 pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (mean age 14 years) as well as sera from 162 patients with a wide range of suspected neurologic disorders (mean age 6.3 years). Our results showed a considerably lower seroprevalence for JCV in our pediatric cohort with 33.3% and equal distribution in both subgroups, compared with reported seropositivity in adult population. This could result in a lower risk for drug-induced PML in pediatric patients compared with adult patients and can influence the indication for natalizumab therapy in pediatric MS patients
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
Evaluation of MoveSmart MS - an online structured exercise, Social Cognitive Theory-based behavioural coaching and peer support programme - on anxiety in multiple sclerosis
Full text linkAnxiety is a common experience among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). While it is known that engaging in exercise has a number of benefits, the role played by exercise in reducing anxiety has received less attention in this context. Understanding the effect of exercise on anxiety, the predictors of this change. and participant experiences will help to further develop programmes which can support PwMS.
Aim
This study used a pre/post evaluation design (1) to assess the efficacy of a structured physiotherapist-led online exercise programme (MoveSmart) on anxiety in PwMS living in Ireland, (2) to identify the role of sociodemographic, health and psychological factors in predicting baseline anxiety, (3) to investigate how changes in these factors predict changes anxiety following completion of the programme, and (4) to explore the experiences of participants with the programme.
Method
Data from 284 PwMS who took part in a 10-week programme between January 2021 and June 2022 were analysed. Participants provided sociodemographic and health information at baseline and completed measures of psychological factors at baseline and again on completion of the programme. Change in anxiety scores were analysed using hierarchical regression analysis. Follow-up focus groups were conducted with 25 participants to explore their experiences of taking part in the programme, with data analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
Participation in the MoveSmart programme was associated with significant reductions in anxiety. Younger age, lower disability, higher Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29 physical scores and higher fatigue were significantly associated with higher baseline anxiety scores, and changes in the physical impact of MS predicted changes in anxiety scores. Key themes identified through thematic analysis included ‘Benefits of peer support’, ‘Benefits of goal setting’, ‘Noticed improvements’ and ‘Praise for programme execution’.
Conclusion
Participation in a physiotherapist-led structured exercise programme resulted in significant improvements in anxiety, in part through reducing the impact of physical MS symptoms. Qualitative results suggest that peer support and goal-related coaching may have contributed to reductions in anxiety
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
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