1,721,011 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
Examining the feasibility of prolonged ketone supplement drink consumption in adults living with type 2 diabetes
No full textThe potential therapeutic effects of ketosis have recently garnered attention in the scientific community and lay public. Although typically achieved by fasting or following a restrictive very-low carbohydrate diet, ketosis can now be achieved through exogenous ketone supplements, which have been shown to lower glucose and improve heart function, making them a potential therapeutic option in type 2 diabetes. However, studies conducted to date are short-term and many questions remain related to feasibility of longer-term exogenous ketone supplementation. The purpose of this research was to conduct a remote randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial to assess the feasibility of 90 days of exogenous ketone supplementation in people living with type 2 diabetes. Twenty individuals living with type 2 diabetes were randomized to consume an exogenous ketone supplement (n=10, 59 mL of flavored concentrate containing 5 g free beta-hydroxybutyric acid + 5 g of the ketone precursor 1,3-butanediol) or a volume, taste- and pH-matched placebo (n=10) three times per day for 90 days. All trial procedures were conducted remotely. The main feasibility outcomes were recruitment rate, compliance/adherence, and participant retention/completion of the trial. Preliminary efficacy outcomes included blood glucose regulation (hemoglobin A1c, continuous glucose monitoring), cardiovascular disease risk factors (waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipids), and general health questionnaires (physical activity, general health perception, food cravings, and dietary intake). Twenty participants were recruited primarily through specialized third-party social media advertising across ~6 months. Four participants dropped out of the exogenous ketone group due to gastrointestinal issues (n=2) or urge to vomit (n=2) and one participant dropped out of the placebo group due to drink taste. The remaining participants self-reported adherence to thrice daily drink consumption which was generally high at >70% across all weeks of the study. Remote data collection was largely feasible. Acceptability and general health questionnaires showed no obvious differences between groups. Overall, 90 days of exogenous ketone supplementation showed mixed feasibility. High drop-out due to gastrointestinal issues in the ketone group suggests that an alternative supplement formulation would likely be needed for future long-term adherence. However, participants who remained in the trial did show good compliance.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Health and Exercise Sciences, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Investigating the impact of a low-carbohydrate, egg-based breakfast versus a low-fat, guideline breakfast on blood carotenoids and cognitive function in type 2 diabetes
No full textBackground: Persons living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may experience accelerated cognitive decline. Increased dietary intake of the carotenoids lutein or zeaxanthin may have positive effects on cognitive function. Eggs are one of the most bioavailable sources of lutein and zeaxanthin in the human diet. Purpose: To determine if increased egg consumption can increase blood lutein and zeaxanthin levels in people with T2D. A secondary aim was to explore if increased egg consumption influences cognitive function. Methods: We conducted a remote, parallel arm randomized controlled trial in people living with T2D. We tested the hypothesis that instructions to consume ~3 eggs per day via a low-carbohydrate breakfast intervention for three months would increase levels of blood lutein and zeaxanthin compared to eating a dietary guidelines-based low-fat breakfast that contained no eggs. We also examined whether the egg-based breakfast intervention could improve cognitive performance compared to the no eggs breakfast. Participants (N=57) were randomized to one of the breakfast diet interventions, with fingertip capillary blood samples collected at baseline and three months using a lancet and dried blood spot cards for analyses of blood lutein and zeaxanthin. Computerized cognitive assessments were completed at the participant’s home at the beginning, middle, and end of the trial. Results: The low-carbohydrate, egg-based breakfast intervention was successful at increasing egg intake to 1.7 (0.9) eggs per day [mean (SD)], which was significantly greater than daily egg intake [0.3 (0.3)] in the no egg dietary guidelines breakfast group (P > 0.05). There was no significant change in blood lutein or zeaxanthin in either breakfast group (P > 0.05) and all measures of cognitive performance were not significantly altered by the breakfast interventions (all P > 0.05). Conclusion: Three months of consuming ~2 eggs per day did not change blood lutein and zeaxanthin levels, or impact cognitive performance, in participants with T2D. Following a relatively straightforward dietary strategy that manipulates one meal during the day may be a feasible intervention to increase egg intake for people with T2D, but more research is required to determine if this impacts carotenoids and cognitive function.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Health and Exercise Sciences, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Effects of carbohydrate restriction and exogenous ketosis on cardiometabolic health
No full textKetosis, defined as a state of elevated ketone bodies in the blood, has regained attention for its potential to improve cardiometabolic health, particularly in individuals at risk for, or living with, chronic diseases such as obesity or type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, ketosis can be achieved endogenously (e.g., via means of a ketogenic diet) or exogenously via ingestion of oral ketone supplements; and the cardiometabolic effects thereof remain incompletely understood. This dissertation aims to (1) provide insight into the effects of a ketogenic diet on cardiometabolic health with a particular focus on blood lipids, and (2) advance the understanding of the effects of exogenously induced ketosis on glucose metabolism. To this end, we first conducted two systematic reviews and meta-analyses to critically evaluate the current state of the evidence on each topic. Subsequent chapters then present findings from randomized clinical trials examining how ketogenic interventions affect cardiometabolic health. Firstly, N = 155 adults with overweight or obesity were randomized to follow a 12-week dietary intervention delivered via an mHealth app promoting either a Mediterranean-style ketogenic diet or a low-fat calorie-restricted diet. Results showed significantly greater weight loss and improvements in aspects of cardiometabolic health (including glycaemic control and liver health) following the ketogenic diet intervention, with no detrimental effect on blood lipids. Secondly, adults with T2D completed two randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover trials to evaluate the effect of acute exogenous ketone supplement ingestion on plasma glucose concentration (N = 18), and the effect of 14-day thrice daily pre-meal exogenous ketone supplementation on free-living glycaemic control (N = 15). Results showed that oral ingestion of an exogenous ketone supplement did not reduce plasma glucose concentration when consumed acutely in a fasted state, and did not alter markers of glycaemic control across 14 days. Collectively, this dissertation highlights the potential of ketosis to improve some aspects of cardiometabolic health in adults living with chronic disease, thereby warranting further research on the differential health effects of endogenous and exogenous ketosis.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Health and Exercise Sciences, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Determining the role of metabolism in regulating immune (dys)function in obesity and type 2 diabetes
No full textThe full abstract for this thesis is available in the body of the thesis, and will be available when the embargo expires.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Health and Exercise Sciences, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
A low-carbohydrate, energy restricted diet implemented by community pharmacists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
No full textIntroduction: Targeted nutritional approaches for treating type 2 diabetes (T2D) have garnered attention due to the increasing evidence base suggesting they can induce T2D reversal/remission. While physicians are typically at the centre of diabetes care, pharmacists are more accessible and patients with T2D make more visits to their pharmacist than primary care physician. Given their accessibility and expertise in medication management, community pharmacists may be ideally positioned to safely and effectively deliver nutrition interventions targeted at reducing diabetes medication use and promoting T2D remission.
Aim and methods: The aim of the Pharmacist-led therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (Pharm-TCR) as a treatment strategy for T2D trial was to determine if a 12-week very-low carbohydrate, low-calorie diet - led by community pharmacists - could reduce the need for glucose-lowering medications and facilitate improvements in cardiometabolic health when compared to guideline-based treatment-as-usual (TAU). Second, we tested the hypothesis that fasting markers of beta-cell stress/function, liver adiposity, and liver function are improved following the Pharm-TCR intervention. Thus, a pragmatic community-based RCT following a parallel-group design was conducted through 12 community pharmacies throughout British Columbia, Canada (Paper 1: trial protocol).
Results: Following the 12-week intervention, 35.7% of participants in the Pharm-TCR group were completely off all glucose-lowering medications compared to 0% in the TAU group (difference = 35.7%, [CI₉₅ 25.9 to 44.8%], p<0.0001). Among other cardiometabolic improvements, there were substantial improvements in A1c (-1.4% [CI₉₅ -1.8 to -1.0%]), body weight (-12.0 kg [CI₉₅ -13.6 to -10.4 kg]), and systolic blood pressure (-13 mmHg [CI₉₅ -17 to -8]) (Paper 2). We also observed improvements indices of liver adiposity, and liver function related to T2D (Paper 3; secondary/exploratory outcomes).
Conclusions: The Pharm-TCR intervention led to a reduced need for glucose-lowering medications, improved glycemic control, weight loss, and reduced blood pressure compared to usual care. In addition, we observed improvements in markers of T2D pathophysiology, indicating that the Pharm-TCR intervention positively affected the underlying drivers of the disease. Overall, the Pharm-TCR intervention was effective in treating T2D and can be viewed as a pragmatic and viable strategy for implementing a nutritional intervention in the community for people with T2D.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Health and Exercise Sciences, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
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
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