1,721,151 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

    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

    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

    Author Index

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    Comparative analysis of COX-2, vascular endothelial growth factor and microvessel density in human renal cell carcinomas

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    Aims: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are frequently up-regulated in malignant tumours and play a role in proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and tumour invasion. In the present study, the expression of COX-2 and VEGF in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was analysed and correlated with the microvessel density (MVD). Methods and results: COX-2 and VEGF were analysed by realtime reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The MVD was assessed by CD31 immunohistochemistry. The expression of COX-2 and VEGF was determined in the RCC cell lines A498 and Caki-1 under short-term hypoxia and in multicellular tumour cell aggregates. COX-2 was expressed in RCC by tumour epithelia, endothelia and macrophages in areas of cystic tumour regression and tumour necrosis. COX-2 protein in RCC was not altered in comparison with normal renal tissue. VEGF mRNA was up-regulated in RCC and positively correlated with MVD. RCC with high up-regulation of VEGF mRNA showed weak intracytoplasmic expression of VEGF in tumour cells. Intracytoplasmic VEGF protein expression was negatively correlated with MVD. In RCC with necrosis the MVD was reduced in comparison with RCC without necrosis. A498 RCC cells down-regulated COX-2 and up-regulated VEGF under conditions of hypoxia. In Caki-1 cells COX-2 expression remained stable, whereas VEGF was significantly up-regulated. In multicellular A498 cell aggregates COX-2 and VEGF were up-regulated centrally, whereas no gradient was found in Caki-1 cells. Conclusions: COX-2 and VEGF are potential therapeutic targets because COX-2 and VEGF are expressed in RCC and associated cell populations such as endothelia and monocytes/macrophages

    Detrimental effects of octreotide on intestinal microcirculation

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    Background. Octreotide (OCT) is used for the protection of pancreato-intestinal anastomoses and for treatment of acute pancreatitis. Its effect on jejunal microcirculation after ischemia-reperfusion has not been investigated. Material and methods. Intestinal ischemia was induced in Wistar rats (n = 8) by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery for 40 min. Prior to reperfusion infusion of OCT (7.5 mu g/h) was started (n = 8). Microvascular perfusion of the jejunal mucosal and muscle layers was assessed and compared with that of groups without intervention (n = 16) by means of intravital microscopy, Results. Ischemia-reperfusion decreased mucosal functional capillary density from 838.4 +/- 12.6 to 418.9 +/- 9.6 cm(-1). Mucosal capillary red blood cell velocity was reduced from 0.53 +/- 0.01 to 0.35 +/- 0.01 mm/s (P < 0.05). Permanent leukocyte adherence was increased. OCT without ischemia-reperfusion decreased functional capillary density (735.4 +/- 13.5 cm(-1)) and red blood cell velocity (0.46 +/- 0.01 mm/s). After reperfusion OCT led to perfusion heterogeneity demonstrated by villous stasis (26 +/- 4%) and a decrease in the index of mucosal perfusion (0.38 +/- 0.02). Functional capillary density was further decreased compared with ischemic controls (234.0 +/- 11.8 cm(-1)). Capillary red blood cell velocity was lower (0.30 +/- 0.01 mm/s) than in ischemic controls. Conclusions. OCT impairs microvascular perfusion of the jejunum both under physiological conditions and after ischemia-repel fusion. (C) 2000 Academic Press

    Dynamic assessment of angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma spheroids by intravital microscopy

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    Purpose: Renal cell cancer represents a suitable tumor model for in vivo observation of neo-angiogenesis. We used intravital microscopy and the well established dorsal skin fold chamber model to characterize neo-angiogenesis in freely implanted renal cell cancer spheroids. Material and Methods: Tumor spheroids were implanted into dorsal skin fold chambers of 8 nude mice. At days 3, 6, 10 and 14 after implantation the newly vascularized spheroid area, density of perfused microvessels in the spheroid versus the periphery, capillary center erythrocyte velocity and capillary diameter were recorded by intravital microscopy. Video images were analyzed by a computer assisted image analysis device. After the experiments the chambers were analyzed morphologically. Results. The model enabled quantitative analysis of microcirculation and angiogenesis in the renal cell cancer spheroids during 14 days of observation. Mean spheroid center perfused microvessel density +/- SEM increased from 3 +/- 2 to 269 +/- 21 cm.(-1) on days 3 to 10 and subsequently decreased to 189 +/- 38 cm.(-1) on day 14. Spheroid periphery perfused microvessel density was significantly higher throughout the experiments, attaining a mean maximum of 522 +/- 34 cm.(-1) on day 14. Mean capillary diameter decreased continuously from 14.2 +/- 0.9 to 8.4 +/- 0.4 mum. on days 3 to 14. In contrast, mean capillary center erythrocyte velocity significantly increased during 14 days of observation from 0.09 + 0.02 mm. per second on day 3 to 0.24 +/- 0.08 mm. per second on day 14. Histological analysis after 14 days revealed the spheroids as cell clusters in the upper layers of the dorsal skin fold chamber. Conclusions. The model is suitable for the analysis of renal cell cancer angiogenesis. Although it is heterotopic, angiogenesis in renal cell cancer spheroids mimics important characteristics of human renal cell cancer
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