1,721,010 research outputs found
PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INTERACTIONS WITH HOST AND BACTERIAL NEIGHBORS IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS LUNG DISEASE
Full text linkCystic fibrosis (CF) lung infection is a complex condition where opportunistic pathogens and defective immune system cooperate in developing a constant cycle of infection and inflammation. Despite the polymicrobial nature of this pathology, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered the major pathogen. Several mechanisms contribute to its successful colonization of CF airways; among these, virulence factors are important players. This thesis includes two studies aimed to evaluate aspects of P. aeruginosa interaction with both host and other microorganisms, like the emerging pathogen Achromobacter xylosoxidans
A New Method to Easily Assess Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Activity of Ultraviolet Radiation Using Quantitative Image Analysis
No full text: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can elicit both bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity depending on light parameters and targeted bacteria. Current methods based on bacterial growth on solid medium allow measurement of only bactericidal but not bacteriostatic activity, while liquid cultures exhibit low light penetration. Here, we propose a method to quantify both bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity of radiation based on (a) bacterial cultures on solid medium, (b) acquisition and quantitative analysis of photographic images of plates containing bacterial colonies, (c) application of two mathematical equations to evaluate bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity. The proposed method considers the differences in growth on test and control (unexposed) plates. The measurements performed on the plates image are the independent variables of the mathematical equations returning the values of bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity. Experimentally, a test was performed using Escherichia coli grown on a solid medium and exposed to UVA (365 nm) radiation. The standard method allowed quantifying bactericidal activity and evaluating only qualitatively bacteriostatic activity of the radiation. Differently, the new method here proposed allowed quantification of both activities. The proposed method proved to be simple, enabling deep assessment of the antibacterial effects of UV radiation directly on the solid medium through image acquisition and analysis
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
Boundaries in spatial cognition: Looking like a boundary is more important than being a boundary
Full text linkLarge walls and other typical boundaries strongly influence neural activity related to navigation and the representations of spatial layouts. They are also major aids to reliable navigation behavior in young children and nonhuman animals. Is this because they are physical boundaries (barriers to movement), or because they present certain visual features, such as visually extended 3D surfaces? Here, these 2 factors were dissociated by using immersive virtual reality and real boundaries. Eighty adults recalled target locations in 1 of 4 environments: plywood, where a virtual wall coincided with a large piece of real plywood; pass through, where the virtual wall coincided with empty space and participants could pass through it; pass over, where the virtual wall was projected downward to be visible underneath a transparent floor; and cones, where the walls were replaced with traffic cones. One condition had features that were boundaries and looked like boundaries (plywood); 2 had features that were not boundaries but looked like boundaries (pass over/through); and 1 had features that were not boundaries and did not look like boundaries (cones). The precision and bias of responses changed only as a function of looking like a boundary. This suggests that variations in spatial coding are more closely linked to the visual properties of environmental layouts than to whether they contain physical boundaries (barriers to movement). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
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
Does duration Matter? Evaluating the impact of short- and long-term telemedicine in functional motor disorders
Full text linkIntroduction: Functional motor disorders (FMDs) are chronic neurological conditions characterized by altered expectations, disrupted attention, and a sense of agency, requiring long-term management. While 12-week telemedicine programs have shown effectiveness, the optimal duration for sustaining benefits remains unclear. We therefore aim to compare the effects of an extended 24-week telemedicine program with a standard 12-week program in managing FMDs. Methods: 52 consecutive patients with FMDs completed a five-day intensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation program followed by a standard 12-week telemedicine program. Participants were then allocated consecutively to either a self-management program without telemedicine support (control group, CG, n = 26) or an extended 24-week telemedicine program with biweekly sessions (experimental group, EG, n = 26). Motor and non-motor symptoms, Quality of Life (QoL), and self-perception of change were assessed at baseline (T0), after 12 weeks (T1), and 36 weeks (T2). Results: Significant time effects were found for all outcomes except the Mental Health QoL. Significant Time × Group interaction was observed for TAS-20 (p < 0.001), where the CG reported a reduction both at T1 (p = 0.003) and T2 (p < 0.001), not observed in the EG. The CG reported a significant worsening in their self-perception of improvement at nine months (T2) compared to the EG (p = 0.015). Conclusions: Extending the telemedicine program, even at a reduced biweekly frequency, may help sustain perceived improvements despite the absence of additional motor benefits. Such disconnection might be related to the strong role of altered expectations and attention within this disorder
Reducing healthcare costs by timely diagnosis and management in functional motor disorders
No full textBackground: Functional motor disorders (FMDs) are prevalent and highly disabling conditions among young adults, leading to reduced independence. Despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment, the economic burden of FMDs remains largely unknown. Objective: This study evaluates the impact of accurate FMDs diagnosis on direct healthcare costs within the Italian National Health System by comparing healthcare utilization and costs before and after diagnosis. Methods: This before-after study included 40 patients with a definite diagnosis of FMDs. Retrospective data on healthcare utilization, including diagnostic tests, specialist visits, hospitalizations, Emergency Room (ER) visits, and rehabilitation services, were collected from diaries and documents two years before and after diagnosis. Results: Healthcare direct costs decreased by 67%, from an average of €4,467 [95% CI 3,604-5,329] to €1,461 [95% CI 945-1,976] after diagnosis. Hospitalization costs fell from €2,618 [95% CI 1,899-3,336] to €492 [95% CI 162-821], and ER costs dropped from €403 [95% CI 177-628] to €43 [95% CI 6-78]. Diagnostic procedure costs decreased significantly, from €403 [95% CI 177-628] to €43 [95% CI 6-78]. Specialist visit costs remained unchanged. Rehabilitation costs increased from €371 [95% CI 194-547] to €635 [95% CI 318-915], but this rise was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Accurate diagnosis of FMDs significantly reduces healthcare costs by minimizing unnecessary tests, hospitalizations, and ER visits while emphasizing rehabilitation. This highlights the economic and clinical benefits of improved diagnostic accuracy and specific multidisciplinary intervention. Investing in cost-effective diagnostic tools is crucial for earlier diagnosis and reducing delays
Pain, smell, and taste in adults: a narrative review of multisensory perception and interaction
Full text linkEvery day our sensory systems perceive and integrate a variety of stimuli containing information vital for our survival. Pain acts as a protective warning system, eliciting a response to remove harmful stimuli; it may also be a symptom of an illness or present as a disease itself. There is a growing need for additional pain-relieving therapies involving the multisensory integration of smell and taste in pain modulation, an approach that may provide new strategies for the treatment and management of pain. While pain, smell, and taste share common features and are strongly linked to emotion and cognition, their interaction has been poorly explored. In this review, we provide an overview of the literature on pain modulation by olfactory and gustatory substances. It includes adult human studies investigating measures of pain threshold, tolerance, intensity, and/or unpleasantness. Due to the limited number of studies currently available, we have structured this review as a narrative in which we comment on experimentally induced and clinical pain separately on pain-smell and pain-taste interaction. Inconsistent study findings notwithstanding, pain, smell, and taste seem to interact at both the behavioral and the neural levels. Pain intensity and unpleasantness seem to be affected more by olfactory substances, whereas pain threshold and tolerance are influenced by gustatory substances. Few pilot studies to date have investigated these effects in clinical populations. While the current results are promising for the future, more evidence is needed to elucidate the link between the chemical senses and pain. Doing so has the potential to improve and develop novel options for pain treatment
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