1,721,248 research outputs found

    The influence of behavioural and psychological factors on medication adherence over time in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a study in the biologics era.

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    Objective: To investigate the level of self-reported adherence to biologic treatment and establish the contribution of demographic, physical and psychological factors to biologic medication adherence in a rheumatoid arthritis cohort. Method: Adalimumab (ADA) treated patients were recruited through the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register – Rheumatoid Arthritis (BSRBR-RA) between May 2007 and April 2009. Demographic and baseline psychological measures including illness and medication beliefs with baseline and follow up measures of disease activity (DAS28), physical function (HAQ) and quality of life (SF36) at 6, 12 and 18 months were collected. Adherence was assessed at each follow up using the validated 19-item patient self-completed Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR). Multi-level mixed effects modelling analysis was performed to investigate predictors of adherence. Results: Of the 329 ADA patients included, a quarter reported only moderate adherence (CQR scor

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The 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

    Joint hypermobility is modestly associated with disabling and limiting musculoskeletal pain: Results from a large scale general population based survey

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    Objective To determine the population prevalence of joint hypermobility (JH) and to test the hypothesis that JH would be associated with reporting musculoskeletal pain. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional population survey in Aberdeen and Cheshire. A total of 45,949 questionnaires were mailed that assessed JH and the presence, distribution, duration, and severity of musculoskeletal pain. Based on their pain reports, participants were classified as having chronic widespread pain (CWP), some pain, or no pain. Multinominal logistic regression tested the relationship between JH and pain status. Associations were adjusted for age, sex, and other putative confounders. Participants with no pain were the referent category. Results A total of 12,853 participants (28.0%) returned a questionnaire with complete data; 2,354 participants (18.3%) were classified as hypermobile. A total of 2,094 participants (16.3%) had CWP, 5,801 participants (45.1%) had some pain, and 4,958 participants (38.6%) reported no pain. JH participants were significantly more likely to report CWP than non-JH participants (18.5% versus 15.8%; P <0.001). After adjusting for age and sex, hypermobile participants were 40% more likely to report the most severe CWP (relative risk ratio [RRR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.1-1.7; P <0.00). After further adjustments for employment status, smoking, alcohol, and physical activity, JH remained significantly associated with the most severe CWP (RRR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.1; P <0.000) and some pain (RRR 1.3, 95% CI 1.02-1.6; P = 0.03). Conclusion JH was associated with severe pain; however, this relationship was not specific to CWP. The relationship was relatively modest and may be explained by unmeasured confounding factors such as psychological distress. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Rheumatology

    Variations on the Author

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    “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

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    We 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

    Cognitive behavior therapy, exercise, or both for treating chronic widespread pain

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    Background: The clinical impact of telephonedelivered cognitive behavioral therapy (TCBT), exercise, or a combined intervention in primary care patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP) is unclear. Methods: A total of 442 patients with CWP (meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria) were randomized to receive 6 months of TCBT, graded exercise, combined intervention, or treatment as usual (TAU). The primary outcome, using a 7-point patient global assessment scale of change in health since trial enrollment (range: very much worse to very much better), was assessed at baseline and 6 months (intervention end) and 9 months after randomization. A positive outcome was defined as "much better" or "very much better." Data were analyzed using logistic regression according to the intention- to-treat principle. Results: The percentages reporting a positive outcome at 6 and 9months, respectively, wereTAUgroup, 8% and 8%; TCBT group, 30% and 33%; exercise group, 35% and 24%; and combined intervention group, 37% and 37% (

    ICF Core Sets for rheumatoid arthritis

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    Objective: To report on the results of the consensus process integrating evidence from preliminary studies to develop the first version of a Comprehensive ICF Core Set and a Brief ICF Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: A formal decision-making and consensus process integrating evidence gathered from preliminary studies was followed. Preliminary studies included a Delphi exercise, a systematic review, and an empirical data collection. After training in the ICF, and based on these preliminary studies, relevant ICF categories were identified in a formal consensus process by international experts from different backgrounds.Results: The preliminary studies identified a set of 530 ICF categories at the second, third and fourth ICF levels with 203 categories on body functions, 76 on body structures, 188 on activities and participation, and 63 on environmental factors. Seventeen experts from 12 different countries attended the consensus conference on rheumatoid arthritis (7 physicians with at least a specialization in physical and rehabilitation medicine, 7 rheumatologists, one nurse, one occupational therapist, and one physical therapist). Altogether 96 categories (76 second-level and 20 third-, and fourth-level categories) were included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set with 25 categories from the component body functions, 18 from body structures, 32 from activities and participation, and 21 from environmental factors. The Brief ICF Core Set included a total of 39 second-level categories, with 8 on body functions, 7 on body structures, 14 on activities and participation, and 10 on environmental factors.Conclusion: A formal consensus process integrating evidence and expert opinion based on the ICF framework and classification led to the definition of ICF Core Sets for rheumatoid arthritis. Both the Comprehensive ICF Core Set and the Brief ICF Core Set were defined

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We 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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