1,721,416 research outputs found
The role of leukotriene receptor antagonists in the treatment of chronic asthma in childhood
No full textA considerable increase in the prevalence of childhood asthma over the last few decades has been mirrored by a dramatic increase in usage of anti-asthma drugs; however, there has been no reduction in the numbers of patients dying of asthma. Concern has been expressed about the development of tolerance with continuous use of inhaled ?-agonist bronchodilators and about the potential adverse systemic effects of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids in children. Moreover, patient compliance with inhaled therapy tends to be poor. The leukotriene receptor antagonists, including montelukast, pranlukast and zafirlukast, are orally administered agents with proven benefits in asthma. In a large, placebo-controlled pediatric trial, montelukast significantly (P<0.02) reduced requirements for rescue ?-agonist bronchodilators, improved quality of life, reduced the circulating level of blood eosinophils and produced improvements in lung function. In adult studies, montelukast reduced sputum eosinophils and attenuated early and late phase allergen-induced reactions. Montelukast has also demonstrated protective effects against exercise-induced bronchospasm in both adults and children, and this protection was maintained during the trough period at the end of the once-daily administration interval (namely, 20–24 h post-dose). Several studies have demonstrated that the formation of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the airways of asthmatic patients is not suppressed by corticosteroids; thus, it is not surprising that montelukast demonstrates complementary effects when given with inhaled corticosteroids. Currently, the most compelling evidence from published trials suggests that leukotriene receptor antagonists can be used as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids to allow tapering of corticosteroid dose and reduction in ?-agonist use. Recent clinical trial results suggest there may also be a role for these agents as first-line therapy in children with mild asthma.A considerable increase in the prevalence of childhood asthma over the last few decades has been mirrored by a dramatic increase in usage of antiasthma drugs; however, there has been no reduction in the numbers of patients dying of asthma. Concern has been expressed about the development of tolerance with continuous use of inhaled ?-agonist bronchodilators and about the potential adverse systemic effects of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids in children. Moreover, patient compliance with inhaled therapy tends to be poor. The leukotriene receptor antagonists, including montelukast, pranlukast and zafirlukast, are orally administered agents with proven benefits in asthma. In a large, placebo-controlled pediatric trial, montelukast significantly (P<0.02) reduced requirements for rescue ?-agonist bronchodilators, improved quality of life, reduced the circulating level of blood eosinophils and produced improvements in lung function. In adult studies, montelukast reduced sputum eosinophils and attenuated early and late phase allergen-induced reactions. Montelukast has also demonstrated protective effects against exercise-induced bronchospasm in both adults and children, and this protection was maintained during the trough period at the end of the once-daily administration interval (namely, 20–24 h post-dose). Several studies have demonstrated that the formation of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the airways of asthmatic patients is not suppressed by corticosteroids; thus, it is not surprising that montelukast demonstrates complementary effects when given with inhaled corticosteroids. Currently, the most compelling evidence from published trials suggests that leukotriene receptor antagonists can be used as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids to allow tapering of corticosteroid dose and reduction in ?-agonist use. Recent clinical trial results suggest there may also be a role for these agents as first-line therapy in children with mild asthma
Alien Registration- Warner, John J. (Rumford, Oxford County)
Full text linkhttps://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/12393/thumbnail.jp
Strategies for preventing allergic disease
No full textPrevention of allergic sensitization will probably require strategies that are operative in utero. These consist of optimisation of maternal nutrition and avoidance of tobacco smoke. Allergen avoidance should not be recommended as a primary preventive intervention. Postnatally, when allergic sensitisation has occurred but before disease is manifest, breastfeeding or using an extensively hydrolysed casein formula has been shown to be of benefit, at least in reducing food allergy and atopic eczema. The precise role of weaning in the development of allergic sensitisation is unknown and delaying the introduction of solids into the infant's diet has produced highly discrepant results. The use of microbial product including probiotics has been shown to reduce atopic eczema but not allergic sensitisation. As yet no recommendations as to their precise use can be made. Finally, immunotherapy and the use of anti-histamines in interrupting the allergic march once symptoms are apparent have shown beneficial effects, with cetirizine having been shown to be safe and effective to use, even in infancy
Early life events in allergic sensitisation
No full textThe timing of events leading to allergic sensitisation has become a very important area in the attempt to halt the dramatic increase in the prevalence of diseases such as asthma, eczema and hay fever. Recent research has demonstrated that events taking place during the gestational period may well play a role in determining whether or not a genetic susceptibility becomes translated into disease processes. Maternal atopy seems to have an important effect on the developing immune response of the infant and increases the chances of the child developing allergy in later life. Maternal IgE, IgG and amniotic fluid cytokines, combined with the presence of allergen in the feto–maternal environment are all possible factors involved in the ultimate outcome in terms of infants Th-1/Th-2 responses to common environmental antigens. Immune modulation at this stage of development may, in the future, be a way forward in the prevention of allergy
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
Bronchoscopic appearances of congenital lobar emphysema
No full textAlthough decreased bronchial cartilage is found in 50% of cases of congenital lobar emphysema (CLE), it can only be surmised that this defect produces a ball valve effect with consequent overinflation. We describe the flexible bronchoscopic features of CLE in a 3-year-old child. The observed airway patency during inspiration, and dynamic airway collapse on expiration suggests that bronchomalacia contributes to lung overinflation in these cases.</p
Fetal immune responsiveness and routes of allergic sensitization
No full textThere is much interest in the role of early-life events in the subsequent development of atopy and/or atopic disease. Despite the ongoing debate about the intrauterine exposure of the fetus to environmental allergens and the establishment of T-cell memory, it is clear that the immunological response of the neonate at risk of atopy is more immature than that of the neonate likely to be non-atopic. The reasons for this remain unknown, but might reflect maternally transmitted signals that adapt the neonatal immune response. An inadvertent consequence of this might be an inappropriate host response to environmental signals such as those from microbial products during early post-natal life that result in an inability to dampen neonatal T-helper 2-skewed responses. The developing gastrointestinal tract and the exogenous factors that impact on this, such as microbial flora and breast milk, should therefore be a focus of investigation
- …
