Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Peginterferon alfa-2b as monotherapy or in combination with lamivudine in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B: a randomised study.
The efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2b alone or in combination with lamivudine for the treatment of patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative (-) chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is understudied. ⋯ These data support the use of pegylated interferon alfa-2b in patients with HBeAg(-) chronic hepatitis B; however, the concomitant use of lamivudine produced no additional clinical benefit.
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Early indicators or predictors of outcome after head injury can affect clinical decision making and the choice of case-specific approaches to rehabilitation. ⋯ Our results suggest that the GCS has a limited predictive value of outcome in patients with a head injury, particularly if used as sole predictor or in patients with a mild-to-moderately severe injury.
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The effect of exercise training on submaximal aerobic capacity and locomotor economy (LE) of Down's syndrome (DS) individuals has never been analyzed and their peak physiological adaptability to long-term physical conditioning is poorly understood. Thus the purpose of the present study was to determine whether DS males could improve their submaximal and peak aerobic capacity and LE after a 28-week training program. ⋯ Despite improving body composition and peak cardiovascular fitness and lipidic oxidation during submaximal exercise, DS males were unable to modify their LE after 28 weeks of exercise intervention.
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In 1955, Garfield suggested that the number of references could be used to measure the "impact" of a journal, but the term "impact factor" was introduced in 1963 by Garfield and Sher. The primary goal of impact factor analysis was to improve the management of library journal collections. Single-parameter measurements of the quality of a journal article have become increasingly popular as a substitute for scientific quality. ⋯ It is critical to remember that JIF can be used only to evaluate journals. All comparisons should include only journals and never individuals or departments. Only similar journals (particularly those dedicated to the same scientific specialty) must be compared, because the value of the impact factor varies greatly by discipline.
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This is a prospective clinical study focusing on cytokine inhibitors (sTNFR I, sTNFR II, IL-1ra) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-13) following burn injury in children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic values of the selected cytokine-related molecules. ⋯ The results confirm the involvement of these markers in the pathogenesis of SIRS in this clinical entity. Their monitoring simultaneously with CRP level allows evaluating the generalized inflammatory response and may clinically support diagnostic and prognostic methods.