Citation patterns in tropical medicine journals. (25/171)

Selections of most important journals in the field of tropical medicine have previously been identified with the help of resources such as bibliographical and citation databases. This article uses ISI's Journal Citation Reports (JSR) for 2002 to analyse the citation characteristics of the Tropical Medicine category. According to these data, this small but diverse group of 12 journals bestows some 40% more citations than it receives. Its six typical core journals tend to cite one another heavily, but they also refer a lot to multidisciplinary science and general medicine journals, and to infectious diseases and parasitology journals. Looking at the sources from which JCR's tropical medicine journals derive their citations, it is clear that in this reverse direction, the specialty's literature is still more concentrated. Apart from the typical core, this JCR category also contains a number of journals with more idiosyncratic citing patterns, focused on specialties such as paediatrics, a single disease (leprosy) and a representative of Latin American and Francophone biomedical science each. Implications of concentrated citedness and language biases are discussed briefly. This paper features a selection of bibliometric parameters relating to the tropical medicine journals and lists of the 80 journals most citing and cited by them.  (+info)

Bibliometric analysis of research published in Tropical Medicine and International Health 1996-2003. (26/171)

We examine the bibliometric profile of Tropical Medicine and International Health using the subjects of the articles published and the geographical distribution of the authors. The most common subject areas of papers published during 1996-2003 are highlighted, and the most cited papers indicated.  (+info)

Effect of Lactobacillus GG on intestinal integrity in Malawian children at risk of tropical enteropathy. (27/171)

BACKGROUND: Tropical enteropathy is an asymptomatic villous atrophy of the small bowel that is prevalent in the developing world and is associated with altered intestinal function and integrity. The histology of tropical enteropathy resembles that seen in small-bowel bacterial overgrowth. OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that treatment of 3-5-y-old Malawian children with the probiotic Lactobacillus GG would improve their intestinal function and integrity. DESIGN: Clinically healthy children (n = 164) were enrolled in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial. Intestinal function and integrity were measured by using the site-specific sugar-absorption test before and after 30 d of treatment with Lactobacillus GG or placebo. The primary outcomes were the ratios of urinary lactulose to mannitol (L:M) and of urinary sucrose to lactulose (S:L) excretion. RESULTS: Of the 161 children who completed the study, 119 (73%) had tropical enteropathy on enrollment (L:M > 0.10). Children receiving Lactobacillus GG did not differ significantly from the placebo group in the excretion (in % of dose administered) of mannitol (mean +/- SD: 8.9 +/- 4.4 and 8.9 +/- 3.9, respectively), lactulose (0.31 +/- 0.20 and 0.33 +/- 0.23, respectively), or sucrose (0.078 +/- 0.058 and 0.082 +/- 0.075, respectively). L:M and S:L also did not differ significantly between the Lactobacillus and placebo groups (0.19 +/- 0.13 and 0.20 +/- 0.12, respectively, for L:M; 0.58 +/- 0.46 and 0.65 +/- 0.57, respectively, for S:L). CONCLUSION: Administration of Lactobacillus GG for 30 d had no effect on the intestinal integrity of 3-5-y-old Malawian children.  (+info)

Spectrum of disease and relation to place of exposure among ill returned travelers. (28/171)

BACKGROUND: Approximately 8 percent of travelers to the developing world require medical care during or after travel. Current understanding of morbidity profiles among ill returned travelers is based on limited data from the 1980s. METHODS: Thirty GeoSentinel sites, which are specialized travel or tropical-medicine clinics on six continents, contributed clinician-based sentinel surveillance data for 17,353 ill returned travelers. We compared the frequency of occurrence of each diagnosis among travelers returning from six developing regions of the world. RESULTS: Significant regional differences in proportionate morbidity were detected in 16 of 21 broad syndromic categories. Among travelers presenting to GeoSentinel sites, systemic febrile illness without localizing findings occurred disproportionately among those returning from sub-Saharan Africa or Southeast Asia, acute diarrhea among those returning from south central Asia, and dermatologic problems among those returning from the Caribbean or Central or South America. With respect to specific diagnoses, malaria was one of the three most frequent causes of systemic febrile illness among travelers from every region, although travelers from every region except sub-Saharan Africa and Central America had confirmed or probable dengue more frequently than malaria. Among travelers returning from sub-Saharan Africa, rickettsial infection, primarily tick-borne spotted fever, occurred more frequently than typhoid or dengue. Travelers from all regions except Southeast Asia presented with parasite-induced diarrhea more often than with bacterial diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: When patients present to specialized clinics after travel to the developing world, travel destinations are associated with the probability of the diagnosis of certain diseases. Diagnostic approaches and empiric therapies can be guided by these destination-specific differences.  (+info)

The feature of papers and citation analysis of eleven journals in tropical medicine indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded. (29/171)

To determine the features of papers, authors, and citation of eleven journals in tropical medicine indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded, the database of the Institute for Scientific Information, we analyzed original articles, editorials, reviews, corrections, letters, biographies, and news published in these journals. The results show that these journals covered 107 countries or regions on six continents. The average number of reference was 23.05, with 87.89% of the references from periodicals. The Price Index was 31.43% and the self-citing rate was 7.02%. The references in the first 20 journals ranked by the amount of citation accounted for 36.71% of the total citations. Brazil, United States, India, and England are more advanced in tropical medicine research. The conclusion is that these journals covered most research done in these countries or regions. Most researches were done by cooperation of the researchers, but many of the publications used outdated articles and should include newer information.  (+info)

Exploiting the potential of vector control for disease prevention. (30/171)

Although vector control has proven highly effective in preventing disease transmission, it is not being used to its full potential, thereby depriving disadvantaged populations of the benefits of well tried and tested methods. Following the discovery of synthetic residual insecticides in the 1940s, large-scale programmes succeeded in bringing many of the important vector-borne diseases under control. By the late 1960s, most vector-borne diseases--with the exception of malaria in Africa--were no longer considered to be of primary public health importance. The result was that control programmes lapsed, resources dwindled, and specialists in vector control disappeared from public health units. Within two decades, many important vector-borne diseases had re-emerged or spread to new areas. The time has come to restore vector control to its key role in the prevention of disease transmission, albeit with an increased emphasis on multiple measures, whether pesticide-based or involving environmental modification, and with a strengthened managerial and operational capacity. Integrated vector management provides a sound conceptual framework for deployment of cost-effective and sustainable methods of vector control. This approach allows for full consideration of the complex determinants of disease transmission, including local disease ecology, the role of human activity in increasing risks of disease transmission, and the socioeconomic conditions of affected communities.  (+info)

Cerebral mass in a 13-year-old girl following long-term sojourn in the Tropics. (31/171)

Cysticercosis of the central nervous system is the main cause of late-onset epilepsy in tropical countries. The case of a 13-year-old German girl with a generalized seizure following long-term sojourns in the Tropics is reported. Cranial imaging showed two cerebral lesions with central calcifications. Serological, molecular and cultural examination of cerebrospinal fluid and blood was negative for various parasites, fungi and bacteria including mycobacteria. Histopathological examination after neurosurgical resection revealed calcareous bodies pathognomonic for platyhelminths, in particular tapeworms. Taken together, the radiological and histopathological findings indicate infection with cysticerci, the larvae of Taenia solium.  (+info)

Strongyloides stercoralis infestation in a patient with severe ulcerative colitis. (32/171)

Asymptomatic infestation with Strongyloides stercoralis, common in the tropics, may result in potentially fatal hyperinfection during treatment with immunosuppressive drugs used to treat patients with severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Hence, importance of early recognition and treatment of this nematode in patients with UC before starting immunosuppressive drugs can not be overemphasized. We report a 23-yrs old man with UC who presented with acute severe attack. Since his UC did not respond to intravenous hydrocortisone over 6 days, oral cyclosporine was started on 7th day after repeating stool microscopy, which revealed larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis. Duodenal aspirate also confirmed presence of multiple larvae. He responded to treatment for Strongyloides stercoralis , continuation of hydrocortisone and cyclosporine. Importance of early diagnosis of infestation with Strongyloides stercoralis while on treatment with immunosuppressive drugs for severe UC is emphasized. Difficulties in diagnosis and management of Strongyloides stercoralis infestation in patients with UC are discussed.  (+info)