1,721,041 research outputs found
The prognostic role of nailfold capillaroscopy in the differential diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon
No full textThe prognostic role of nailfold capillaroscopy in the differential diagnosis of Raynaud’s phenomenon
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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
Effectiveness and safety of leflunomide in the clinical practice : a different experience
No full textPrevalence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in systemic sclerosis: report from two italian centers
No full textBackground: Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is an asymptomatic premalignant clonal plasma cell disorder. It is defined by the presence of serum levels of a monoclonal paraprotein lower than 3 g/dl, and a clonal plasma cell infiltration of the bone marrow less than 10%, in the absence of end-organ damage related to the lymphoproliferative process (1). The prevalence of MGUS in patients with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, commonly associated to an immune system impairment, has been found to be similar to that found in otherwise healthy individuals over the age of 50 (2,3).
Objectives: To assess the prevalence of MGUS in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients from two Italian centers.
Methods: Two-hundred-thirty-six SSc patients consecutively enrolled at the Rheumatology Unit of Naples and at the Division of Rheumatology of Milan from 2008 to 2011 were investigated. MGUS was suspected in case of the incidental finding of a monoclonal band in the gammaglobulin region at serum protein gel electrophoresis in two different tests taken 6 to 1 year apart. Patients with present or past diagnosis of a lymphoproliferative disorder/whatever malignancy were excluded from the analysis. Selected patients underwent further investigation to confirm and stage MGUS (bone marrow biopsy, etc).
Results: Five out of 236 (2%) SSc patient (215 females and 21 males, aged 14-85 years, median 40.5), 39 (16.5%) patients with diffuse SSc, 189 (80%) with limited SSc, and 8 (3%) with SSc overlap syndrome had evidence of MGUS. One out of 236 SSc patients, with limited disease, had multiple myeloma; 24 patients out of 236 (10%) had polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia but had no evidence of either MGUS or any other hematological disorders. The occurrence of MGUS was not associated to SSc features such as disease duration, severity or activity.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first large cohort report on the prevalence of MGUS and its associations with SSc. Our data show that SSc patients have an MGUS prevalence similar to the the general population under the age of 60 (4-5). Two previous case series (6,7) are in line with our findings. In addition, we did not find any possible association with clinical features, in particular with disease duration, activity, severity, and medications. We concluded that SSc is not likely to be associated with pre-malignant clonal plasma cell disorders, although prospective studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
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Bilateral vocal fold immobility in a patient with overlap syndrome rheumatoid arthritis/systemic sclerosis
No full textBilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) can be the result of a primary disorder or as an iatrogenic complication of surgery or intubation. Laryngeal involvement can be a rare complication of connective tissue disorders and it usually occurs in association with other symptoms and signs that indicate active disease. We present a case of BVFI in a patient with an overlap syndrome rheumatoid arthritis/systemic sclerosis, referred to our division because of dysphonia and dyspnea. The videolaryngostroboscopy showed the presence of BVFI. Physical examination, blood tests, lung and neck high resolution computed tomography scans did not demonstrate significant abnormalities. She was treated with pulses of intravenous methylprednisolone with slow improvement
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