1,720,969 research outputs found
Harmful effects behind the daily supplementation of a fixed vegetarian blend in the rat model
No full textFruit and vegetables (FV) have long been considered a panacea against major chronic diseases, including cancer. However, there is no convincing epidemiological, clinical or experimental evidence supporting FV chemopreventive ability. A daily mono-supplementation of lyophilized onion, tomato, peach, black grape or lettuce was compared with the daily combined administration of the same FV (5 a day-like diet). Ten days post-treatment, the phase-I/II xenobiotic metabolizing and antioxidant enzyme activities, protein and mRNA levels were investigated. As a marker of oxidative stress, the level of hydroperoxides was measured in rat serum samples. Here we show that a blend of FV orally administered to rats not only potentially manipulates metabolism but also disrupts systemic oxidative homeostasis. A daily combination of the five servings remarkably down-regulates the catalytic activity, protein and mRNA levels of a cohort of hepatic metabolizing enzymes, suggesting a possible depressed clearance upon exposure to ubiquitous carcinogens. Strikingly, we observed an impairment of antioxidant enzymes with a boost in systemic hydroperoxide levels. Our study identifies new potential factors of cancer risk connected with the persistent consumption of fixed servings of FV, suggesting that dietary guidance should rely on a “daily diversification” of FV
Exploring occupational toxicant exposures in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A prospective pilot study
No full textBackground: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been traditionally associated with insulin resistance and obesity. Recently, pollutants have been shown to contribute to the development of MASLD. Given the global burden of MASLD, understanding whether pollutants are merely associated with steatosis or contribute to its progression to advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is critical. Workers exposed to occupational toxicants represent an ideal population for assessing the potentially hazardous consequences of professional exposure. Confirming a link between occupational exposure and ACLD/HCC may not only provide further elements in understanding MASLD, but also contribute to preventive strategies for exposed workers. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of self-reported occupational exposure to toxicants in patients with MASLD. Methods: This hospital-based prospective pilot study included 201 patients with MASLD. Data on workplace toxicant exposure were collected systematically using a structured questionnaire. Subsequently, patients with ACLD and/or HCC (n = 55) were compared to controls (n = 146). Logistic regression analysis and propensity score models were used to investigate the associations between self-reported occupational exposure and ACLD and/or HCC. Results: Patients with ACLD/HCC reported exposure to metals, halogenated refrigerants, pain/resins, and fuel emissions more often than the controls. After controlling for confounders, durations of 21-30 years and >30 years of occupational exposure to toxicants showed odds ratios (ORs) of 2.31 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-4.88, p = 0.029) and 4.47 (95 % CI: 2.57-7.78, p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: In this pilot study, patients with MASLD complications were more likely to report workplace toxicant exposure. Our results warrant future multicentre confirmatory studies, as implementing prevention policies may reduce the risk of life-threatening diseases among exposed populations
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
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
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe 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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
Valutazione della capacità antiossidante ed antisteatotica della Salicornia europaea in un modello di ratto di steatosi indotta da sostanza tossica (TAFLD).
No full textRiassunto
La Salicornia europaea L., comunemente chiamata asparago di mare, è una pianta alofita diffusa nelle zone costiere dell’America, del Sud Africa e dell’Europa, specie nel Mediterraneo. L’estremo interesse nei confronti di questa pianta è dovuto alla sua capacità di crescere in terreni salini e poveri di risorse idriche. Lo stress abiotico influenza molto il profilo fitochimico della pianta, che sviluppa pertanto una resistenza maggiore allo stress ossidativo, rispondendo con una aumentata produzione di composti bioattivi come polifenoli, flavonoidi, flavoni, antocianine e altre molecole bioattive che la rendono un’interessante fonte nutraceutica. Lo scopo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare la composizione fenolica, la capacità antiossidante e quella antisteatotica della Salicornia europaea in un modello di ratto con steatosi epatica indotta da tetracloruro di carbonio (CCl4). Pertanto, è stata condotta un’analisi comparativa sui composti bioattivi e sull’attività antiossidante di foglie giovani e mature per valutare i cambiamenti nelle diverse fasi di crescita. Sono state scelte le foglie giovani poiché hanno mostrato livelli significativamente più alti di composti bioattivi valutati mediante test in vitro. Una sospensione acquosa di foglie giovani è stata quindi somministrata per due settimane ai ratti per studiarne l’effetto preventivo contro la steatosi epatica indotta da una bassa dose di CCl4. Il trattamento con Salicornia ha portato ad una riduzione della perossidazione lipidica, dei livelli di proteine carbonilate e dei livelli di glutatione ridotto, diminuendo lo stress ossidativo epatico indotto. Inoltre, il pretrattamento con Salicornia ha attenuato l’attività Etossicumarina-o-deetilasi (che ricarca quella di varie isoforme di CYP450) e p-nitrofenolo (CYP2E1) e degli enzimi antiossidanti Nrf2-dipendenti (eme-ossigenasi e DT-diaforasi). L’analisi istopatologica ha rilevato una riduzione dell’infiammazione e del contenuto di gocce lipidiche a livello epatico. I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato come l’inclusione nella dieta di alimenti ricchi di polifenoli, come la salicornia, possa portare ad effetti benefici mitigando lo sviluppo di steatosi epatica indotta da contaminanti ambientali.
Abstract
Salicornia europaea L., commonly called sea asparagus, is a halophyte plant native to coastal regions of America, South Africa and Europe, especially of Mediterranean basin. The notable interest in this plant is due to its ability to grow in saline soils and poor water resources. Abiotic stress greatly affects the phytochemical profile of the plant, which therefore develops a greater resistance to oxidative stress, responding with an increased production of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, flavones, anthocyanins and other bioactive molecules that make it an interesting nutraceutical source. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the phenolic composition and the antioxidant and anti-seatotic capacity of S.europaea in a rat model of hepatic steatosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Therefore, a comparative analysis of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of young and mature leaves was conducted to assess changes across different growth stages. Young leaves were selected due to their notably higher levels of bioactive compounds as determined through in vitro assays. Subsequently, an aqueous suspension of young leaves was administered for two weeks to rats in order to investigate the potential preventive effect against hepatic steatosis induced by a low dose of carbon tetrachloride. Treatment with Salicornia resulted in a reduction in lipid peroxidation, carbonyl protein levels and glutathione levels, thereby reducing CCl4-induced hepatic oxidative stress. In addition, it mitigated the activity of Ethoxycoumarin-o-deethylase (reflecting those of various isoforms of CYP450) and p-nitrophenol (CYP2E1) as well as Nrf2- dependent antioxidant enzymes (Heme-oxygenase and DT-diaphoresis). Histopathological analysis showed a reduction in inflammation and lipid droplets accumulation in the liver. These findings showed the potential benefits of polyphenols-rich foods, such as salicornia, into the diet to mitigate the development of hepatic steatosis induced by environmental contaminants
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