1,721,043 research outputs found
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
A probabilistic approach to the evaluation of seismic resilience in road asset management
Full text linkRoad networks are classified as critical infrastructure systems. Their loss of functionality not only hinders residential and commercial activities, but also compromises evacuation and rescue after disasters. Dealing with risks to key strategic objectives is not new to asset management, and risk management is considered one of the core elements of asset management. Risk analysis has recently focused on understanding and designing strategies for resilience, especially in the case of seismic events that present a significant hazard to highway transportation networks. Following a review of risk and resilience concepts and metrics, an innovative methodology to stochastically assess the economic resources needed to restore damaged infrastructures, one that is a relevant and complementary element within a wider resilience-based framework, is proposed. The original methodology is based on collecting and analyzing ex post reconstruction and hazard data and was calibrated on data measured during the earthquake that struck central Italy in 2016 and collected in the following recovery phase. Although further improvements are needed, the proposed approach can be used effectively by road managers to provide useful information in developing seismic retrofitting plans
Etanercept in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis with concomitant hepatitis C virus infection: Clinical and virological study in three patients
No full textTreatment of patients with psoriasis and concomitant hepatitis-C virus (HCV) infection poses a therapeutic challenge because most systemic drugs are associated with potential hepatotoxicity, either due to direct liver damage or to immunosuppression. Among newly available drugs for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, studies investigating the effect of anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha in such patients are still limited. We describe three psoriatic patients with HCV, one with concomitant alcoholic hepatitis, who were treated with etanercept monotherapy for six months. We obtained good clinical responses for both psoriasis and arthritis in all three patients. While no significant changes in viral load and transaminases were observed in two patients, alanine aminotrasferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels were raised during treatment in the patient with concomitant alcoholic hepatitis. At baseline, one patient was negative and two were positive for mixed-type cryoglobulins. During treatment, none of the patients developed cryoglobulinemia-related clinical symptoms, and one of the two patients positive at baseline was negative for cryoglobulins at the end of follow-up. Our results add to accumulating data suggesting that etanercept represents a valuable therapeutic option for treatment of HCV-positive psoriatic patients, with an acceptable safety profile in the short-term. However, etanercept treatment of HCV cases with concomitant alcoholic hepatitis must be undertaken with caution
Le manifestazioni neurologiche della malattia di Behcet.
No full textBehçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, associated with HLA-B51. It predominantly affects young adults, with a high prevalence along the so called "Silk Road", a geographical area extending from Eastern Asian countries to the Mediterranean basin. Among the wide spectrum of its clinical abnormalities, involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) turns out to be one of the most severe manifestations, leading to significant disability in up to one half of the patients affected. CNS involvement could he sub-grouped into two main clinical-pathological entities: a "parenchymal" pattern of involvement consists of lesions primarily originating within neural parenchyma of the CNS (neuro-Behçet); a "non-parenchymal" type of involvement is due to CNS damage secondary to pathology of the major vessels (vasculo-Behçet) whose clinical presentation is either that of intracranial hypertension, due to dural sinus venous thrombosis, or a "stroke-like" one due..
Etanercept in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriathic arthritis with concomitant hepatitis C virus infection: clinical and virological study in three patients
Full text linkTreatment of patients with psoriasis and concomitant hepatitis-C virus (HCV) infection poses a therapeutic challenge because most systemic drugs are associated with potential hepatotoxicity, either due to direct liver damage or to immunosuppression. Among newly available drugs for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, studies investigating the effect of anti-tumour necrosis factor-α in such patients are still limited. We describe three psoriatic patients with HCV, one with concomitant alcoholic hepatitis, who were treated with etanercept monotherapy for six months. We obtained good clinical responses for both psoriasis and arthritis in all three patients. While no significant changes in viral load and transaminases were observed in two patients, alanine aminotrasferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels were raised during treatment in the patient with concomitant alcoholic hepatitis. At baseline, one patient was negative and two were positive for mixed-type cryoglobulins. During treatment, none of the patients developed cryoglobulinemia-related clinical symptoms, and one of the two patients positive at baseline was negative for cryoglobulins at the end of follow-up. Our results add to accumulating data suggesting that etanercept represents a valuable therapeutic option for treatment of HCV-positive psoriatic patients, with an acceptable safety profile in the short-term. However, etanercept treatment of HCV cases with concomitant alcoholic hepatitis must be undertaken with caution
Some Remarks on Soft Mobility: A New Engineered Approach to the Cycling Infrastructure Design
No full textWorldwide, countries are working to reorganize transport networks by promoting a new form of mobility that is sustainable and healthy for citizens. The task assigned to the designers is to create interconnected, safe, attractive and comfortable routes so that users begin to change their habits by favoring modal shift to sustainable transport. In this paper, a preliminary procedure is defined for the design of the different types of cycling routes based on area's characteristics and, above all, cycling flows. An original estimation method for the cycling flow has been proposed that allows a refined safety-oriented cycling infrastructure design. Once that the design interventions have been defined, through a benefit-cost analysis and with the help of technical guides, it is possible to evaluate optimal cycling infrastructure layouts on the examined urban road network
3D Simulations of Two-Component Mixes for the Prediction of Multi-component Mixtures’ Macrotexture: Intermediate Outcomes
No full textIt is a consolidated knowledge that road macrotexture affects direct primary aspects related to road safety as friction or aquaplaning and secondary aspects related to environmental issues as noise or fuel consumption. These premises highlight how the prediction of road macrotexture is still an open research field for pavement designer, especially for theoretical models which would better describe the relationships with grading and volumetric properties, laying techniques and compaction energy.In this paper intermediate outcomes about the theoretical prediction of road macrotexture are presented. In order to investigate the arrangement and compaction of a bituminous mix in a gyratory compactor, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) approach has been used to develop numerical simulations of two-component mixes. A large simulation campaign has been designed and performed and the Void Content diagram has been used for the macrotexture representation.In analogy with the packing theory, the extension of the results obtained for the two-component mixtures into the multi-component systems, has been proposed and an effective novel theoretical method, based on a "revisiting" of the classical Void Content diagrams, for the macrotexture prediction has been performed. Finally, a numerical application of the method has been provided and the outcomes discussed
A Conceptual Framework for Risk Assessment in Road Safety of Vulnerable Users
No full textThe risk-based engineering analyzes, created mainly to activate forecasting and prevention measures in response to the damage generated by natural disasters, have been extended to many other sectors. One of these is that relating to road safety. Over the last few decades, the European Union has pushed towards a noticeable improvement in road safety (EU roads are the safest in the world), but there are still too many deaths and injuries. It must be said that all the procedures and measures implemented so far in the road sector are aimed at reducing the hazard of the motorized component. In fact, the advent of ITS onboard devices has enormously improved the safety of drivers and passengers, but almost nothing has been done to protect vulnerable users. Although car manufacturers are recently pay more attention to this latter issue, road safety engineers can play a critical role in identifying and evaluating the various accident scenarios and then selecting optimal countermeasures. In this paper, following a review of risk based methodologies, an original risk-based methodological approach is proposed for pedestrian. The ultimate goal is to bring, as requested by the European Community, a drastic reduction in the number and consequences of accidents involving vulnerable users
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