1,720,960 research outputs found
Growth strategies of whip black corals (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) in the Bunaken Marine Park (Celebes Sea, Indonesia)
No full textThe growth rate of two species of whip black corals belonging to the genera Cirrhipathes and Stichopathes has been evaluated in different experiments conducted in the Marine Park of Bunaken (Indonesia) for over one year. Unbranched, unpinnulated black corals result among the fastest growing colonial organisms, with maximal growth rates of 13.25 cm month-1 for Cirrhipathes cfr anguina and 1.3 cm month-1 for Stichopathes cfr maldivensis. Several observations made both on transplants and on natural colonies add new information on the growth strategy of black corals. The easy handling, the high rate of survivorship and the fast growth of transplants indicate that black corals can be successfully employed in the recovery projects of harvested reefs
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
An integrative framework for addressing taxonomic challenges in Cystoseira s.l.
No full textBrown algae within the Cystoseira sensu lato (s.l.) complex constitute essential components of Mediterranean marine forests, yet their taxonomic delineation remains a significant challenge due to pronounced phenotypic plasticity and recent reclassification into three distinct genera. These taxonomic uncertainties, further exacerbated by the addition of new species, impede conservation efforts and ecological research. To address these challenges, we developed an integrative framework combining advanced molecular tools with morphological assessments to achieve precise species identification and robust phylogenetic resolution. This standardized approach incorporates rapid DNA extraction techniques, high-resolution molecular markers (COI, RuBisCO, ITS2), and rigorous phylogenetic analyses, ensuring reliable results at both interspecific and intraspecific levels. Our comprehensive database, derived from Atlantic and Mediterranean specimens, provides critical insights into the taxonomy of Cystoseira s.s., resolving long-standing ambiguities. This framework not only enhances species classification accuracy but also supports future research, conservation planning, and ecosystem management strategies for Mediterranean marine forests
Streamlining restoration: optimizing strategies for recovering Cystoseira sensu lato
No full textMacroalgal forests dominated by Cystoseira sensu lato are undergoing severe range contractions due to anthropogenic and climate-induced stressors, emphasizing the need for effective restoration strategies. Assisted regeneration techniques offer sustainable solutions to mitigate biodiversity loss. This study aimed to refine ex situ recruitment methods by combining controlled-environment cultivation with suspended algaculture to improve scalability and cost-effectiveness. Specifically, we tested whether integrating a suspended algaculture stage prior to outplanting could reduce the resource-intensive mesocosm culture phase. Three experimental conditions, varying in laboratory culture and suspended aquaculture durations, were evaluated using growth metrics (e.g., percent cover and thallus length) and physiological health (e.g., photosynthetic efficiency). Results show that reducing the mesocosm phase from three to two weeks still yields satisfying outcomes and resilience in the field, whereas shortening the laboratory period to one week leads to poorer results. These findings help optimize protocols for large-scale macroalgal forest restoration
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Operational challenges in EU ecosystem condition accounts: the case of urban, agricultural and marine ecosystems
No full textFollowing the amendment to the EU Regulation on environmental economic accounts, it is expected that the compilation of ecosystem conditions accounts by Member States would be a requirement in the near future. These accounts will follow the statistical framework for the System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) of the United Nations. However, potential operational issues of SEEA-EA, including those of specific groups of ecosystems should be solved before its practical implementation. Our presentation introduces operational challenges for anthropogenic ecosystems (urban ecosystems and agroecosystems) and marine ecosystems identified during the development of the upcoming EU Methodology. The latter is a guidance developed by the European Commission to map and assess the condition of all ecosystem types in the EU, including those not protected under EU Nature Directives. It provides an initial basis for the identification of good condition per ecosystem type, supporting restoration actions. Anthropogenic and marine ecosystems are illustrative cases of ecosystem types that do not always fulfil assumptions valid for other ecosystems, which are useful to highlight ecosystem specific issues of SEEA-EA implementation at national and EU levels. In fact, the EU Methodology represents a first
attempt to translate the concept of restoration in a harmonised method applicable to all ecosystem types, requiring to deal with a great number of challenges. For example, the difficulty of identifying suitable reference levels for anthropogenic ecosystems, or the need to guarantee the self-regenerative capacity of ecosystems, or the problem of keeping pressures originating/impacting the ecosystems into account. Some of these challenges are shared with
other ecosystem types and lines will be drawn to them. Potential solutions investigated will be also introduced. Both challenges and potential solutions will contribute as inputs for the open round table discussions anticipated in the second part of this session
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