1,721,902 research outputs found
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
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
Tiagabine in clinical practice.
Among the newly introduced antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), tiagabine (TGB) stands out as a compound with a well-understood and documented mechanism of action. It is a lipophilic derivative of nipecotic acid that blocks gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reuptake by inhibition of the GAT-1 transportation system, and that has no other significant pharmacodynamic effect. The relationship between intake and blood levels is linear. Usual daily maintenance doses range from 20 to 50 mg. It is completely absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, and its half-life is approximately 7-9 h. TGB is sensitive to enzyme induction: when coprescribed with enzyme-inducing AEDs, its half-life is shortened to 2-3 h, whereas the daily dosage has to be increased into the upper range. It should be given 3 times per day. Placebo-controlled, double-blind, add-on studies conducted in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsies have demonstrated its efficacy and overall safety. The clinical benefits appear to persist over time. Data on its use in monotherapy are scanty. The efficacy and tolerability of TGB in the pediatric age still remain to be investigated adequately. In daily practice, TGB appears to be a safe drug, but mild to moderate side effects are frequently seen, especially during titration: these include dizziness and fatigue, and are clearly abated when the drug is absorbed during meals. Titration should be especially slow, no faster than 5 mg weekly. Clinicians also should beware of the possible occurrence of confusion, which may be misdiagnosed as absence status, a short-lasting, quickly reversible central nervous system-related side effect that appears to be correlated with the peak plasma concentrations of TGB. Particularly beneficial indications for TGB and/or AED associations including TGB have not been pointed out, but there is a hint that it works best in temporal lobe epilepsies
The genetic and molecular basis of epilepsy
In the past decade, studies of large families in which epilepsy has been inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion have revealed several mutated genes, most of which encode ion channel subunits. Despite these exciting findings, only a few families with similar phenotypes have mutations in these known genes. More frustrating has been the genetic research into idiopathic epilepsies with complex inheritance. Although these forms are more common than those with Mendelian inheritance, their unknown mode of inheritance, phenotypic heterogeneity and the uncertainty of the genetic overlap among syndrome subtypes have hampered gene mapping. New techniques of molecular analysis could help the dissection of genes for epilepsies with complex inheritance. Hopefully, in the near future, successful genetic studies will make possible the discovery of new and more-targeted anti-epileptic drugs
Variations on the Author
“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
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
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