1,721,221 research outputs found
Editorial: Antimicrobial Stewardship in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
No full textGyssens, IC (corresponding author), Dept Internal Med, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Radboud Ctr Infect Dis, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Hasselt Univ, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Hasselt, Belgium.
[email protected]
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
What is the evidence base of used aggregated antibiotic resistance percentages to change empiric antibiotic treatment? A scoping review
No full textBackground: Antibiotic resistance requires continuous monitoring by experts to decide whether empiric antibiotic therapies (EAT) should be replaced by alternative antibiotics. The exact moment and criteria for this change is unclear and generally based on consensus between experts. Objectives: This scoping review aims to identify from the literature the resistance thresholds used for a change in EAT and the criteria that they are based upon. Methods: Scoping review for which a comprehensive structured literature search was conducted. Rayyan, software for systematic reviews, was used for the screening of abstracts and titles. Data sources: Pubmed and hand-searching of reference lists and grey literature. Eligibility: Papers concerning any type of bacterial infectious disease and mentioning or defining antibiotic resistance thresholds for decision making purposes for EAT were included. The inclusion and analysis of articles was done by two researchers, any conflicts were resolved through discussion or by consulting a third reviewer. Results: We identified 3146 unique papers. Following title-abstract screening, 125 papers were comprehensively read, 16 papers included. The included papers gave thresholds for urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, meningitis, skin and soft tissue infections, gonorrhoea and bone and joint infections. Six criteria were found that were commonly used to base the thresholds on. These were: disease severity, efficacy of treatment, adverse drug events, risk of C. difficile infection, costs and increased resistance. The number of criteria used to define each threshold varied from 1 up to 6 criteria between papers. Conclusions: The thresholds used for EATs are few, commonly based on expert opinion estimates and therefore can have broad ranges. Used criteria underlying reported thresholds are heterogenous and require standardization. Considering the rising trend in resistance there is a clear need for rigid tools to determine thresholds in order to support guideline development with the best and timely evidence
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
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
The diagnostic accuracy of the GeneXpert ESBL-ampC prototype assay for rapid PCR-based detection of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase genes directly from urine
No full textContains data beloning to our research. Routine urine samples were collected between February and July 2021 in two Dutch clinical medical microbiology laboratories according to a predefined list containing certain culture characteristics. All urine samples were screened for the presence of ESBL genes (blaCTX-M2, blaCTX-M14, blaCTX-M15) with random-access qPCR using the Cepheid GeneXpert® ESBL-ampC prototype assay. The qPCR and microbiological culture results were compared. After calculation of the sensitivity and specificity, discrepancies were investigated by whole-genome sequencin
Health and economic burden of human Streptococcus suis infection in Viet Nam and the contribution of undercooked pig product consumption practices: implications for prevention and control
Get PDFStreptococcus suis is a zoonotic bacterium capable of causing severe systemic infection in humans, including central nervous system infection (meningitis) which can lead to long-term sequelae including deafness and vestibular dysfunction. Despite a growing body of literature on the epidemiology, microbiology and molecular aspects of the disease, there has been little progress on the prevention and control of this disease in Asia. This thesis aimed to examine the long-term consequences of the disease in patients, quantify the health and economic impact, and investigate the local practice of consuming raw pig blood, one of the main risk factors for S. suis infection in Viet Nam.
A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in this thesis showed that hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction were the most common health sequelae in patients surviving S. suis infection. In a patient follow-up study at a referral hospital in Ha Noi, I found that severe hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction both occurred, and persisted over a long period in 40% of patients. Morbidity caused by these two conditions accounted for about half of the disability adjusted life years lost due to the infection. The analysis of disease impact showed that S. suis infection caused a considerable impact on the patients and their family. The direct cost of hospitalization was estimated to be 35 million VND per episode (~ 1600 USD), which was greater than the average annual per-capita income in Viet Nam. The total annual cost of the disease was 54-70 billion VND (2.5-3.3 million USD), more than 80% of which was attributed to productivity loss due to premature deaths and long-term disability.
A mixed-methods community-based study, consisting of both quantitative survey and focus group discussion, showed that raw pig blood consumption was common in Viet Nam (reported in 35% of rural and 8.6% of urban participants). Many misperceptions about food safety and risk of disease transmission existed in the community; most importantly was the belief that apparently healthy or free-ranging pigs did not pose health risks to consumers.
Data from this thesis can be used by public health and policy makers to prioritise and justify resource allocation and to identify options for disease prevention and control.</p
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