Caracterización bibliométrica de la comunidad científica especializada en el estudio de la alopecia areata / Bibliometric characterization of the scientific community specialized in the study of alopecia areata

Los dominios del conocimiento están estrechamente relacionados con las comunidades que se integran para su configuración y desarrollo. La bibliometría constituye una de las formas más objetivas para el análisis y caracterización de estas comunidades. El presente estudio caracterizó, a través de la perspectiva bibliométrica, el comportamiento de la comunidad científica especializada en alopecia areata durante el período 2001-2014. Se utilizó el Web of Science como fuente de información. Se empleó una batería de indicadores bibliométricos para determinar la productividad, influencia y rendimiento de los autores, así como para caracterizar sus investigaciones más relevantes. Se determinó la productividad anual, que evidenció durante el período un crecimiento exponencial de la producción científica sobre Alopecia Areata. Se identificaron las 15 revistas más productivas, que generaron alrededor del 50 por ciento del volumen total de artículos. Se identificó el núcleo de autores más visibles del dominio. Se demostró la utilidad del índice H no solo como indicador para determinar el rendimiento científico, sino también como medida para la identificación del liderazgo en dominios del conocimiento científico, especialmente en el campo de las Ciencias Médicas(AU)

Knowledge domains are strongly related to the communities integrated for their configuration and development. Bibliometrics is one of the more objective ways to the analysis and characterization of these communities. The current study characterized the behavior of the scientific community specialized on alopecia areata during the period 2001-2014, through a bibliometric perspective. The Web of Science was used as information source. A battery of bibliometric indicators was used to determine productivity, influence and performance of authors, as well as to characterize their most relevant researches. Annual productivity was determined. An exponential growth of the scientific output on alopecia areata was observed. The fifteen most productive journals were identified, which produced around 50 percent of the total amount of articles. The most visible author´s core was identified. The value of H index was demonstrated, not only as indicator to determine scientific performance, but also as a measure to identify leadership in scientific knowledge domains, especially in the field of Medical Sciences(AU)

Caracterización bibliométrica de la comunidad científica especializada en el estudio de la alopecia areata / Bibliometric characterization of the scientific community specialized in the study of alopecia areata

Los dominios del conocimiento están estrechamente relacionados con las comunidades que se integran para su configuración y desarrollo. La bibliometría constituye una de las formas más objetivas para el análisis y caracterización de estas comunidades. El presente estudio caracterizó, a través de la perspectiva bibliométrica, el comportamiento de la comunidad científica especializada en alopecia areata durante el período 2001-2014. Se utilizó el Web of Science como fuente de información. Se empleó una batería de indicadores bibliométricos para determinar la productividad, influencia y rendimiento de los autores, así como para caracterizar sus investigaciones más relevantes. Se determinó la productividad anual, que evidenció durante el período un crecimiento exponencial de la producción científica sobre Alopecia Areata. Se identificaron las 15 revistas más productivas, que generaron alrededor del 50 % del volumen total de artículos. Se identificó el núcleo de autores más visibles del dominio. Se demostró la utilidad del índice H no solo como indicador para determinar el rendimiento científico, sino también como medida para la identificación del liderazgo en dominios del conocimiento científico, especialmente en el campo de las Ciencias Médicas.

Knowledge domains are strongly related to the communities integrated for their configuration and development. Bibliometrics is one of the more objective ways to the analysis and characterization of these communities. The current study characterized the behavior of the scientific community specialized on alopecia areata during the period 2001-2014, through a bibliometric perspective. The Web of Science was used as information source. A battery of bibliometric indicators was used to determine productivity, influence and performance of authors, as well as to characterize their most relevant researches. Annual productivity was determined. An exponential growth of the scientific output on alopecia areata was observed. The fifteen most productive journals were identified, which produced around 50 % of the total amount of articles. The most visible author´s core was identified. The value of H index was demonstrated, not only as indicator to determine scientific performance, but also as a measure to identify leadership in scientific knowledge domains, especially in the field of Medical Sciences.

Management of primary achalasia: The role of endoscopy.

Achalasia is an oesophageal motor disorder which leads to the functional obstruction of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) and is currently incurable. The main objective of all existing therapies is to achieve a reduction in the obstruction of the distal oesophagus in order to improve oesophageal transit, relieve the symptomatology, and prevent long-term complications. The most common treatments used are pneumatic dilation (PD) and laparoscopic Heller myotomy, which involves partial fundoplication with comparable short-term success rates. The most economic non-surgical therapy is PD, with botulinum toxin injections reserved for patients with a higher surgical risk for whom the former treatment option is unsuitable. A new technology is peroral endoscopic myotomy, postulated as a possible non-invasive alternative to surgical myotomy. Other endoluminal treatments subject to research more recently include injecting ethanolamine into the LES and using a temporary self-expanding metallic stent. At present, there is not enough evidence permitting a routine recommendation of any of these three novel methods. Patients must undergo follow-up after treatment to guarantee that their symptoms are under control and to prevent complications. Most experts are in favour of some form of endoscopic follow-up, however no established guidelines exist in this respect. The prognosis for patients with achalasia is good, although a recurrence after treatment using any method requires new treatment.

Tumor regression and survival after perioperative MAGIC-style chemotherapy in carcinoma of the stomach and gastroesophageal junction.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the effectiveness of perioperative MAGIC-style chemotherapy in our series focused on the tumor regression grade and survival rate. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 53 patients following a perioperative regimen of epirubicin, cisplatin, and fluorouracil or capecitabine (ECF/X). Forty-four (83 %) neoplasias were located in the stomach and 9 (17 %) were located at the esophagogastric junction. Perioperative chemotherapy completion, resection, TNM staging, the tumor regression grade (Becker's classification) and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (85 %) completed the 3 preoperative cycles. R0 resection was achieved in 42 (79 %) patients. Thirty-five (66 %) patients completed the 3 postoperative cycles. Nine carcinomas (17 %) were considered major responders after preoperative chemotherapy. With multivariate analysis, only completion of perioperative chemotherapy (HR: 0.25; 95%CI: 0.08 - 0.79; p = 0.019) was identified as an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival. However, the protective effect of perioperative therapy was lost in patients with ypT3-4 and more than 4 positive lymph nodes (HR: 1.16; 95%CI: 1.02 - 1.32; p = 0.029). The tumor regression grade (major vs minor responders) was at the limit of significance only with univariate analysis. The 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates were 18 % and 22 % respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of major responder tumors after preoperative chemotherapy was low. Completion of perioperative ECF/X chemotherapy may benefit patients with gastric carcinomas that do not invade the subserosa with few positive lymph nodes.

The intake of a hazelnut skin extract improves the plasma lipid profile and reduces the lithocholic/deoxycholic bile acid faecal ratio, a risk factor for colon cancer, in hamsters fed a high-fat diet.

The effects on lipid and glucose metabolism of a hazelnut skin extract (FIBEROX™) administrated during 8 weeks (HFD-FBX8w group) or during the last 4 weeks of the study (HFD-FBX4w group) to Golden Syrian hamsters fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks were investigated. FIBEROX™ consumption reversed the increase in total and LDL plasma cholesterol induced by the HFD feeding in both HFD-FBX groups and decreased the circulating levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides in the HFD-FBX4w animals. The higher excretion of bile acids found in the faeces of both groups of hamsters fed the FIBEROX™ suggests that this mechanism is involved in the cholesterol-lowering effects of the extract. Furthermore, FIBEROX™ intake sharply decreased the lithocholic/deoxycholic bile acid faecal ratio, a risk factor for colon cancer, in both HFD-FBX groups. In conclusion, the consumption of FIBEROX™ improves different risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and colon cancer.

Hitos de la ciencia cubana en el siglo XXI, una revisión a partir de los trabajos más citados en Scopus durante el período 2006-2010 / Milestones of the Cuban Science in the XXI century, a review of the most cited papers in Scopus during the period 2006-2010

La presente revisión, estructurada en dos partes, identifica y describe los artículos de investigación desarrollados con la intervención de autores e instituciones cubanas que han tenido mayor impacto sobre la comunidad científica internacional durante la primera década del siglo XXI. Esta segunda parte abarca el período 2006-2010. La cantidad de citas recibidas fue el criterio utilizado para la identificación de los trabajos más relevantes. Se utilizó la base de datos Scopus y el portal SCImago Journal & Country Rank como fuentes de información. Se tuvo en cuenta el rol de los autores e instituciones cubanas, así como el aporte de la colaboración internacional y la visibilidad de las publicaciones seriadas donde se dieron a conocer los trabajos, como variables de análisis para la caracterización de las investigaciones. A pesar de que la investigación biomédica también fue predominante durante los últimos cinco años de la década, diferentes estudios climatológicos y meteorológicos, así como importantes experimentos en el área de la física de altas energías, constituyeron investigaciones clave durante esta segunda etapa

The current review, structured in two parts, identifies and describes the research articles developed by Cuban authors and institutions with the highest impact on the international scientific community during the first decade of XXI Century. The second part covered the period 2006-2010. The amount of citations was the used criteria for the identification of the most relevant papers. Scopus database and the SCImago Journal & Country Rank portal were used as information sources. The role of Cuban authors and institutions, the support of international collaboration and the visibility of the journals where the papers were published, as analytical variables for the researches characterization, were studied. Despite biomedical research was also predominant during the last five years of the decade, a group of different climate and meteorological studies, as well as important experiments in the field of high energy physics, were key research during this second stage

Hitos de la ciencia cubana en el siglo XXI, una revisión a partir de los trabajos más citados en Scopus durante el período 2006-2010 / Milestones of the Cuban Science in the XXI century, a review of the most cited papers in Scopus during the period 2006-2010

La presente revisión, estructurada en dos partes, identifica y describe los artículos de investigación desarrollados con la intervención de autores e instituciones cubanas que han tenido mayor impacto sobre la comunidad científica internacional durante la primera década del siglo XXI. Esta segunda parte abarca el período 2006-2010. La cantidad de citas recibidas fue el criterio utilizado para la identificación de los trabajos más relevantes. Se utilizó la base de datos Scopus y el portal SCImago Journal & Country Rank como fuentes de información. Se tuvo en cuenta el rol de los autores e instituciones cubanas, así como el aporte de la colaboración internacional y la visibilidad de las publicaciones seriadas donde se dieron a conocer los trabajos, como variables de análisis para la caracterización de las investigaciones. A pesar de que la investigación biomédica también fue predominante durante los últimos cinco años de la década, diferentes estudios climatológicos y meteorológicos, así como importantes experimentos en el área de la física de altas energías, constituyeron investigaciones clave durante esta segunda etapa(AU)

The current review, structured in two parts, identifies and describes the research articles developed by Cuban authors and institutions with the highest impact on the international scientific community during the first decade of XXI Century. The second part covered the period 2006-2010. The amount of citations was the used criteria for the identification of the most relevant papers. Scopus database and the SCImago Journal & Country Rank portal were used as information sources. The role of Cuban authors and institutions, the support of international collaboration and the visibility of the journals where the papers were published, as analytical variables for the researches characterization, were studied. Despite biomedical research was also predominant during the last five years of the decade, a group of different climate and meteorological studies, as well as important experiments in the field of high energy physics, were key research during this second stage(AU)

Hitos de la ciencia cubana en el siglo XXI, una revisión a partir de los trabajos más citados en Scopus en el período 2001-2005 / Milestones of the Cuban Science in the XXI Century, a review of the most cited papers in Scopus, 2001-2005

La presente revisión, estructurada en dos partes, identifica y describe los artículos de investigación desarrollados con la intervención de autores e instituciones cubanas que han tenido mayor impacto sobre la comunidad científica internacional durante la primera década del Siglo XXI. Esta primera parte abarca el período 2001-2005. La cantidad de citas recibidas fue el criterio utilizado para la identificación de los trabajos más relevantes. Se utilizó la base de datos Scopus y el portal SCImago Journal & Country Rank como fuentes de información. Se tuvo en cuenta el rol de los autores e instituciones cubanas, así como el aporte de la colaboración internacional y la visibilidad de las publicaciones seriadas donde se dieron a conocer los trabajos, como variables de análisis para la caracterización de las investigaciones. Se confirmó la concentración de las investigaciones con mayor visibilidad internacional en el área biomédica durante los primeros cinco años de la década.

The current review, structured in two parts, identifies and describes the research articles developed by Cuban authors and institutions with the highest impact on the international scientific community during the first decade of XXI Century. The first part covered the period 2001-2005. The amount of citations was the used criteria for the identification of the most relevant papers. Scopus database and the SCImago Journal & Country Rank portal were used as information sources. The role of Cuban authors and institutions, the support of international collaboration, and the visibility of the journals where the papers were published, as analytical variables for the researches characterization, were studied. The concentration of the higher visibility in the biomedical area during the first five years of the decade was confirmed.

Hitos de la ciencia cubana en el siglo XXI, una revisión a partir de los trabajos más citados en Scopus en el período 2001-2005 / Milestones of the Cuban Science in the XXI Century, a review of the most cited papers in Scopus, 2001-2005

La presente revisión, estructurada en dos partes, identifica y describe los artículos de investigación desarrollados con la intervención de autores e instituciones cubanas que han tenido mayor impacto sobre la comunidad científica internacional durante la primera década del Siglo XXI. Esta primera parte abarca el período 2001-2005. La cantidad de citas recibidas fue el criterio utilizado para la identificación de los trabajos más relevantes. Se utilizó la base de datos Scopus y el portal SCImago Journal & Country Rank como fuentes de información. Se tuvo en cuenta el rol de los autores e instituciones cubanas, así como el aporte de la colaboración internacional y la visibilidad de las publicaciones seriadas donde se dieron a conocer los trabajos, como variables de análisis para la caracterización de las investigaciones. Se confirmó la concentración de las investigaciones con mayor visibilidad internacional en el área biomédica durante los primeros cinco años de la década.(AU)

The current review, structured in two parts, identifies and describes the research articles developed by Cuban authors and institutions with the highest impact on the international scientific community during the first decade of XXI Century. The first part covered the period 2001-2005. The amount of citations was the used criteria for the identification of the most relevant papers. Scopus database and the SCImago Journal & Country Rank portal were used as information sources. The role of Cuban authors and institutions, the support of international collaboration, and the visibility of the journals where the papers were published, as analytical variables for the researches characterization, were studied. The concentration of the higher visibility in the biomedical area during the first five years of the decade was confirmed.(AU)

[Effectiveness of maintenance azathioprine therapy without oral cyclosporine after severe attacks of ulcerative colitis refractory to endovenous steroids]. / Eficacia del mantenimiento con azatioprina sin ciclosporina oral tras un brote grave de colitis ulcerosa refractario a esteroides intravenosos.

INTRODUCTION: Intravenous (i.v.) cyclosporine (CsA) has proved effective in controlling acute attacks of ulcerative colitis unresponsive to IV steroids. After the initial response to i.v. CsA, two alternatives for maintaining remission have been proposed: either double or triple association with immunosuppressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of i.v. CsA, its adverse effects, and the subsequent long-term effectiveness of azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine without oral CsA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Intravenous CsA was administered for 10 days, at a dose of 4 mg/kg per day, to 20 patients diagnosed with a severe attack of ulcerative colitis who did not respond to IV steroid treatment. Patients who responded to CsA and could be discharged were administered azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine associated with a decreasing dose of oral steroids, without oral CsA. RESULTS: Sixty per cent (12/20) of the patients showed clinical-biological improvement after CsA administration, thus avoiding colectomy, and were discharged from hospital. Nine of the 12 responders (three withdrew from the study) were followed-up long term. Of these nine patients, four (44.4%) underwent colectomy, all before the sixth month of discharge. All adverse effects were mild, except for one death. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous CsA is effective in inducing remission of ulcerative colitis in severe attacks resistant to i.v. steroids. When treatment with azathioprine is administered without oral CsA, patients requiring colectomy need this procedure within the first 6 months of discharge.

Eficacia del mantenimiento con azatioprina sin ciclosporina oral tras un brote grave de colitis ulcerosa refractario a esteroides intravenosos / Effectiveness of maintenance azathioprine therapy without oral cyclosporine after severe attacks of ulcerative colitis refractory to endovenous steroids

INTRODUCCIÓN: La ciclosporina (CyA) intravenosa (i.v.) hademostrado ser eficaz en el control de los brotes agudos gravesde colitis ulcerosa que no responden a esteroides i.v.Tras la respuesta inicial a la CyA i.v., se han propuesto dosalternativas para mantener la remisión, la doble o triple asociaciónde inmunosupresores. Los objetivos de nuestro estudiohan sido valorar la eficacia de CyA i.v., sus efectos secundariosy la efectividad posterior a largo plazo de laazatioprina/6-mercaptopurina sin CyA oral.MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se administró CyA i.v. durante 10días, en dosis de 4 mg/kg/día a 20 pacientes diagnosticadosde colitis ulcerosa en brote grave y que no respondieron atratamiento con esteroides i.v. A los que respondieron y pudieronser dados de alta se les administró azatioprina o 6-mercaptopurina asociadas a esteroides orales en pauta descendentey sin CyA oral.RESULTADOS: El 60% (12/20) de los pacientes presentó unamejoría clínico-biológica tras la administración de CyA, loque permitió evitar la colectomía y que fueran dados de altahospitalaria. Se siguieron a largo plazo 9 de los 12 pacientesque respondieron (3 se excluyeron del estudio), y de ellos 4(44,4%) tuvieron que ser colectomizados, todos antes delsexto mes del alta. Los efectos secundarios fueron todos leves,excepto un fallecimiento.CONCLUSIONES: La CyA i.v. es eficaz para inducir la remisiónde la colitis ulcerosa en los brotes graves resistentes aesteroides i.v. Con la estrategia de administrar azatioprinasin CyA oral, los pacientes que requieren colectomía la precisanen los primeros 6 meses tras el alta (AU)

INTRODUCTION: Intravenous (i.v.) cyclosporine (CsA) hasproved effective in controlling acute attacks of ulcerative colitisunresponsive to IV steroids. After the initial response toi.v. CsA, two alternatives for maintaining remission havebeen proposed: either double or triple association with immunosuppressors.The aim of this study was to evaluate theeffectiveness of i.v. CsA, its adverse effects, and the subsequentlong-term effectiveness of azathioprine/6-mercaptopurinewithout oral CsA.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Intravenous CsA was administeredfor 10 days, at a dose of 4 mg/kg per day, to 20 patientsdiagnosed with a severe attack of ulcerative colitis who didnot respond to IV steroid treatment. Patients who respondedto CsA and could be discharged were administeredazathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine associated with a decreasingdose of oral steroids, without oral CsA.RESULTS: Sixty per cent (12/20) of the patients showed clinical-biological improvement after CsA administration, thusavoiding colectomy, and were discharged from hospital. Nineof the 12 responders (three withdrew from the study) werefollowed-up long term. Of these nine patients, four (44.4%)underwent colectomy, all before the sixth month of discharge.All adverse effects were mild, except for one death.CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous CsA is effective in inducing remissionof ulcerative colitis in severe attacks resistant to i.v.steroids. When treatment with azathioprine is administeredwithout oral CsA, patients requiring colectomy need thisprocedure within the first 6 months of discharge (AU)

Use of safety devices and the prevention of percutaneous injuries among healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of safety devices intended to prevent percutaneous injuries.Design. Quasi-experimental trial with before-and-after intervention evaluation. SETTING: A 350-bed general hospital that has had an ongoing educational program for the prevention of percutaneous injuries since January 2002. METHODS: In October 2005, we implemented a program for the use of engineered devices to prevent percutaneous injury in the emergency department and half of the hospital wards during the following procedures: intravascular catheterization, vacuum phlebotomy, blood-gas sampling, finger-stick blood sampling, and intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. The nurses in the wards that participated in the intervention received a 3-hour course on occupationally acquired bloodborne infections, and they had a 2-hour "hands-on" training session with the devices. We studied the percutaneous injury rate and the direct cost during the preintervention period (October 2004 through March 2005) and the intervention period (October 2005 through March 2006). RESULTS: We observed a 93% reduction in the relative risk of percutaneous injuries in areas where safety devices were used (14 vs 1 percutaneous injury). Specifically, rates decreased from 18.3 injuries (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9-43.2 injuries) to 0 injuries per 100,000 patients in the emergency department (P=.002) and from 44.0 injuries (95% CI, 20.1-83.6 injuries) to 5.2 injuries (95% CI, 0.1-28.8 injuries) per 100,000 patient-days in hospital wards (P=.007). In the control wards of the hospital (ie, those where the intervention was not implemented), rates remained stable. The direct cost increase was 0.558 euros (US$0.753) per patient in the emergency department and 0.636 euros (US$0.858) per patient-day in the hospital wards. CONCLUSION: Proper use of engineered devices to prevent percutaneous injury is a highly effective measure to prevent these injuries among healthcare workers. However, education and training are the keys to achieving the greatest preventative effect.