1,721,035 research outputs found
Hepatic iron overload is common in chronic hepatitis B and is more severe in patients coinfected with hepatitis D virus.
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
Pegylated interferon-associated retinopathy is frequent in HCV patients with hypertension and justifies ophthalmologic screening.
No full textTreatment with pegylated interferon alpha (PegIFNα) and ribavirin is still regarded as the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C. Retinopathy has been occasionally described but prospective, longitudinal data are lacking. We have investigated the frequency and clinical significance of retinopathy during therapy with PegIFNα and ribavirin in 97 consecutive HCV patients. 54 (55.7%) and 43 (44.3%) patients were treated with PegIFNα 2a and PegIFNα 2b, respectively. Ophthalmologic examination was performed before therapy (baseline), at 3 and 6 months (3T and 6T, respectively) of therapy and 3 months after the end of therapy (3ET). All patients underwent the baseline and 3T examination, 90.7% underwent 6T and 3ET examination. Overall, 30.9% of patients developed retinopathy, as defined by the presence of cotton wool spots and/or retinal haemorrhages. Variables significantly associated with retinopathy during treatment were age (p=0.004), metabolic syndrome (p=0.05), hypertension (p<0.0001), cryoglobulinaemia (p=0.05) and preexisting intraocular lesions at baseline (p=0.05). By multivariate analysis, the only variable independently associated with PegIFNα-associated retinopathy was hypertension (HR=4.99, 95% CI 2.29-10.89). The frequency of retinopathy was significantly higher in hypertensive patients vs. those without hypertension at all time points (18.5% vs. 5.7% at baseline, p=0.05; 48.1% vs. 15.7% at 3T, p=0.0009; 68.0% vs. 19.1% at 6T, p<0.0001; 32.0% vs. 6.2%, p=0.0005 at 3ET). In one (1.1%) hypertensive patient, who developed bilateral branch retinal vein occlusion at 6T, the therapy was discontinued. A cost-analysis showed that screening for PegIFNα-associated retinopathy was cost-effective as compared to thyroid screening by TSH. Conclusion: Retinopathy is frequent during treatment with PegIFNα and ribavirin, especially in hypertensive patients, who may develop serious complications. Screening for PegIFNα-associated retinopathy should be recommended for HCV patients with hypertension
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“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
Cued Memory Reactivation during Motor Imagery Practice Influences Early Improvement of Procedural Skill Learning
No full textReactivation processes are fundamental for procedural memory improvement. Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) influences memory consolidation through the re-exposure to certain perceptual components present in a previous phase of associative learning. On the other hand, motor imagery (MI) affects procedural skills through a repeated mental simulation of a pre-learned movement without physically moving. Both for TMR and MI, performance improvement has proven to be associated with an induction of reactivation processes. The positive effect of TMR is widely acknowledged in sleep. Here, we measured its impact on procedural learning during waking, in particular during MI practice, in line with the hypothesis that the exogenously induced involuntary reactivations through TMR could add up to the endogenous and voluntary reactivations induced by MI. Therefore, we assessed the influence on performance on a sequential finger tapping task of an auditory TMR during MI practice. It was compared to four conditions: (i) MI alone, (ii) MI during an incompatible sound stimulation, (iii) a mere video viewing and (iv) an auditory TMR during a video viewing. Results showed that the TMR + MI condition determined the largest early performance improvement as indexed by the combined measure of speed and accuracy (number of correct sequences typed in the task). We propose that TMR may enhance the effectiveness of MI protocols, and that MI could represent an optimal time window during wakefulness to take advantage of the effects of TMR. (C) 2019 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights
La deprivazione di sonno influisce sulla memoria di lavoro in un paradigma di n-back emotivo.
No full textSleeping under the waves: A longitudinal study across the contagion peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
Get PDFAfter the March–April 2020 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a second contagion wave afflicted Europe in the autumn. The present study aimed to evaluate sleep health/patterns of Italians during this further challenging situation. A total of 2,013 Italians longitudinally participated in a web-based survey during the two contagion peaks of the COVID-19 outbreak. We investigated the risk factors for sleep disturbances during the second wave, and we compared sleep quality and psychological well-being between the two assessments (March–April and November–December 2020). Female gender, low education, evening chronotype, being a high-risk person for COVID-19 infection, reporting negative social or economic impact, and evening smartphone overuse predicted a higher risk of poor sleep and insomnia symptoms during the second wave. Advanced age, living with a high-risk person for COVID-19 infection, and having a relative/friend infected with COVID-19 before the prior 2 weeks were risk categories for poor sleep quality. Living with children, having contracted COVID-19 before the prior 2 weeks, being pessimistic about the vaccine and working in healthcare, were risk factors for insomnia symptoms. The follow-up assessment highlighted reduced insomnia symptoms and anxiety. Nevertheless, we found reduced sleep duration, higher daytime dysfunction, advanced bedtime and wake-up time, and a shift to morningness, confirming the alarming prevalence of poor sleepers (~60%) and severe depression (~20%) in a context of increased perceived stress. The present study showed a persistent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep and mental health. Large-scale interventions to counteract the chronicity and exacerbation of sleep and psychological disturbances are necessary, especially for the at-risk categories
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe 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
INTRAOCULAR COMPLICATIONS DURING ANTIVIRAL THERAPY FOR HEPATITIS C ARE COMMON AND MORE FREQUENT IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION AND/OR DIABETES: RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE, LONGITUDINAL STUDY
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