1,720,959 research outputs found

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The 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

    The ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase/ferredoxin electron transfer system of Plasmodium falciparum

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    In the apicoplast of apicomplexan parasites, plastidic- type ferredoxin and ferredoxin- NADP(+) reductase ( FNR) form a short electron transport chain that provides reducing power for the synthesis of isoprenoid precursors. These proteins are attractive targets for the development of novel drugs against diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, and coccidiosis. We have obtained ferredoxin and FNR of both Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum in recombinant form, and recently we solved the crystal structure of the P. falciparum reductase. Here we report on the functional properties of the latter enzyme, which differ markedly from those of homologous FNRs. In the physiological reaction, P. falciparum FNR displays a k(cat) five- fold lower than those usually determined for plastidic- type FNRs. By rapid kinetics, we found that hydride transfer between NADPH and proteinbound FAD is slower in the P. falciparum enzyme. The redox properties of the enzyme were determined, and showed that the FAD semiquinone species is highly destabilized. We propose that these two features, i. e. slow hydride transfer and unstable FAD semiquinone, are responsible for the poor catalytic efficiency of the P. falciparum enzyme. Another unprecedented feature of the malarial parasite FNR is its ability to yield, under oxidizing conditions, an inactive dimeric form stabilized by an intermolecular disulfide bond. Here we show that the monomer - dimer interconversion can be controlled by oxidizing and reducing agents that are possibly present within the apicoplast, such as H2O2, glutathione, and lipoate. This finding suggests that modulation of the quaternary structure of P. falciparum FNR might represent a regulatory mechanism, although this needs to be verified in vivo

    Variations on the Author

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    “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

    Monocyte distribution width (MDW): a useful biomarker to improve sepsis management in Emergency Department

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    Objectives Sepsis is a time-dependent and life-threating condition. Despite several biomarkers are available, none of them is completely reliable for the diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of monocyte distribution width (MDW) to early detect sepsis in adult patients admitted in the Emergency Department (ED) with a five part differential analysis as part of the standard clinical practice. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 985 patients aged from 18 to 96 and included in the study between November 2019 and December 2019. Enrolled subjects were classified into four groups based on sepsis-2 diagnostic criteria: control, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), infection and sepsis. The hematology analyzer DxH 900 (Beckman Coulter Inc.) provides the new reportable parameter MDW, included in the leukocyte 5 part differential analysis, cleared by Food and Drug administration (FDA) and European Community In-Vitro-Diagnostic Medical Device (CE IVD) marked as early sepsis indicator (ESId). Results MDW was able to differentiate the sepsis group from all other groups with Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.849, sensitivity of 87.3% and specificity of 71.7% at cut-off of 20.1. MDW in combination with white blood cell (WBC) improves the performance for sepsis detection with a sensitivity increased up to 96.8% when at least one of the two biomarkers are abnormal, and a specificity increased up to 94.6% when both biomarkers are abnormal. Conclusions MDW can predict sepsis increasing the clinical value of Leukocyte 5 Part Differential analysis and supporting the clinical decision making in sepsis management at the admission to the ED

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We 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

    Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts

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    We 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
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