1,720,998 research outputs found

    Hemostatic factors in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis

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    A growing body of evidence has shed light on the role of the hemostatic pathway and its components in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly in enhancing and sustaining neuroinflammation

    White matter paramagnetic rim and non-rim lesions share a periventricular gradient in multiple sclerosis: A 7-T imaging study

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    Background: Paramagnetic rim white matter (WM) lesions (PRL) are thought to be a main driver of non-relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. It is unknown whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-soluble factors diffusing from the ventricles contribute to PRL formation. Objective: To investigate the distribution of PRL and non-rim brain WM lesions as a function of distance from ventricular CSF, their relationship with cortical lesions, the contribution of lesion phenotype, and localization to neurological disability. Methods: Lesion count and volume of PRL, non-rim WM, leukocortical lesion (LCL), and subpial/intracortical lesions were obtained at 7-T. The brain WM was divided into 1-mm-thick concentric rings radiating from the ventricles to extract PRL and non-rim WM lesion volume from each ring. Results: In total, 61 MS patients with ⩾1 PRL were included in the study. Both PRL and non-rim WM lesion volumes were the highest in the periventricular WM and declined with increasing distance from ventricles. A CSF distance-independent association was found between non-rim WM lesions, PRL, and LCL, but not subpial/intracortical lesions. Periventricular non-rim WM lesion volume was the strongest predictor of neurological disability. Conclusions: Non-rim and PRL share a gradient of distribution from the ventricles toward the cortex, suggesting that CSF proximity equally impacts the prevalence of both lesion phenotypes

    The contribution of paramagnetic rim and cortical lesions to physical and cognitive disability at multiple sclerosis clinical onset: evaluating the power of MRI and OCT biomarkers

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    BackgroundIn multiple sclerosis (MS), imaging biomarkers play a crucial role in characterizing the disease at the time of diagnosis. MRI and optical coherence tomography (OCT) provide readily available biomarkers that may help to define the patient's clinical profile. However, the evaluation of cortical and paramagnetic rim lesions (CL, PRL), as well as retinal atrophy, is not routinely performed in clinic.ObjectiveTo identify the most significant MRI and OCT biomarkers associated with early clinical disability in MS.MethodsBrain, spinal cord (SC) MRI, and OCT scans were acquired from 45 patients at MS diagnosis to obtain: brain PRL and non-PRL, CL, SC lesion volumes and counts, brain volumetric metrics, SC C2-C3 cross-sectional area, and retinal layer thickness. Regression models assessed relationships with physical disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]) and cognitive performance (Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis [BICAMS]).ResultsIn a stepwise regression (R2 = 0.526), PRL (beta = 0.001, p = 0.023) and SC lesion volumes (beta = 0.001, p = 0.017) were the most significant predictors of EDSS, while CL volume and age were strongly associated with BICAMS scores. Moreover, in a model where PRL and non-PRL were pooled, only the contribution of SC lesion volume was retained in EDSS prediction. OCT measures did not show associations with disability at the onset.ConclusionAt MS onset, PRL and SC lesions exhibit the strongest association with physical disability, while CL strongly contribute to cognitive performance. Incorporating the evaluation of PRL and CL into the initial MS patient assessment could help define their clinical profile, thus supporting the treatment choice

    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

    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

    Phenotyping in vivo chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis by combined 11C-PBR28 MR-PET and 7T susceptibility-weighted imaging

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    Background: 11C-PBR28 positron emission tomography (PET), targeting the translocator protein, and paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) have emerged as promising imaging markers of MS chronic inflammation. No consensus on which is the optimal marker exists. Objectives: To investigate the ability of 11C-PBR28 PET and PRL assessment to identify chronic inflammation in white matter (WM) MS lesions and their relation to neurological impairment. Methods: Based on 11C-PBR28 uptake, brain WM lesions from 30 MS patients were classified as PET active or inactive. The PRL presence was assessed on 7T phase reconstructions, T1/T2 ratio was calculated to measure WM microstructural integrity. Results: Less than half (44%) of non-PRL WM lesions were active on 11C-PBR28 imaging either throughout the lesion (whole active) or at its periphery. PET peripherally active lesions and PRL did not differ in T1/T2 ratio and 11C-PBR28 uptake. A positive correlation was observed between PRL and active PET lesion count. Whole active PET lesion volume was the strongest predictor (β = 0.97, p < 0.001) of increased Expanded Disability Status Scale scores. Conclusion: 11C-PBR28 imaging reveals more active WM lesions than 7T PRL assessment. Although PRL and PET active lesion counts are related, neurological disability is better explained by PET whole active lesion volume

    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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