1,721,391 research outputs found
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
Surfing the (endo)cannabinoids wave
No full textThe discovery of the receptors for the most active compound of cannabis/marihuana opened the chase for the intrinsic, physiological ligands, which are collectively termed endocannabinoids. In just a few years, it has become difficult even for the followers of this field to keep up with the endocannabinoids literature, thus we thought it useful to offer the reader at least a compass to navigate such a mare magnum
Effects of starvation on survival, cannibalism, body mass, and intestinal protozoan profile in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes lucifugus
Full text linkScarcity or inadequate nutrition can affect biological and behavioural aspects of subterranean termites and their intestinal protozoan profile. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in survival, cannibalism, body mass, and protist community structure of Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi subspecies “Sicily” following starvation to provide basic knowledge for the development of more specific studies on a possible survival strategy under stressful conditions. In nature, this termite consumes many food sources and its feeding activity is continuous during the year. In a 35-day laboratory experiment, groups of 50 termites (worker/soldier ratio 49:1) were subjected to two diets, starvation (no source of cellulose offered to the termites) and filter-paper feeding (as a control), kept for 35 days with 7-day intervals of inspection, and compared with termites freshly collected from a field colony on May 2017. Under starvation, termite survival decreased to 0% after 35 days for both workers and soldiers, whereas in the fed group (filter-paper diet) it was 83% for workers and 66% for soldiers. Cannibalism was on average 84% on dead workers, 1.7% on survivor workers, and 100% on dead soldiers. The body mass of workers decreased from 3.5 mg/worker (first day of the test) to 2.05 mg/worker (last day of the test). The community structure and abundance of the intestinal protozoa of workers changed in response to starvation. Starvation caused the loss of four, six, and two protist species after 7, 14, and 28 days, respectively, with only one species persisting after 28 days. In most inspection dates, results were significantly different from those of filter-paper-fed and field-collected groups
Anandamide hydrolase: a guardian angel of human reproduction?
No full textAnandamide (AEA) is the best-studied member of the endocannabinoids, a group of bioactive fatty acid amides and esters that activate cannabinoid receptors and have several roles in both the CNS and the periphery. The tone, signaling and activity of AEA in vivo are terminated by a specific fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), whose inhibition has potential therapeutic applications in pain, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and anxiety. In this article, we discuss the participation of AEA in hormone-cytokine networks that are essential for reproduction, and support the view that FAAH plays a key role in regulating this activity of AEA. We underline the fact that FAAH in maternal lymphocytes is a molecular integrator of signals that are crucial for human gestation, and that its downregulation to date is the only early marker of spontaneous abortion, both in vivo and in vitro. We propose that drugs that are able to enhance FAAH activity might become useful therapeutic tools for the management of human infertility
- …
