1,720,966 research outputs found
Development of a sampling and preservation protocol for cutaneous bacterial communities of Speleomantes
No full textThe microbiota is an essential component of higher organisms, and the cutaneous
microbiota plays a crucial role in defending the organism from external agents. Within the scope of the project FFORIC24.35 we aim to develop the first study characterizing the
microbiota of European plethodontid salamanders (genus Speleomantes), a group of eight strictly protected species endemic or sub-endemic to Italy. Given the lack of universally applied protocols in the literature, the primary objective of our project is to develop a best practice for sampling and preserving cutaneous bacterial samples. We used as models 12 individuals of the Italian cave salamander (S. italicus) from an epigean population located in Abruzzo. Samples were collected using swabs moistened with saline solution (0.9% NaCl), and immediately stored in saline solution with and without glycerol supplementation. Upon transfer to the laboratory, sample preservation was tested under various conditions: uncontrolled room temperature, +4°C, and –20°C for 10 days. Cultivable bacterial communities were compared using culture-based methods on generic and semi-selective media (LB, TSYE, TSA, NA). Culture-based analyses showed significant differences in microbial densities (CFU/mL) across media types and preservation conditions. Results revealed that swabs collected with physiological saline solution supplemented with glycerol and preserved at +4°C represented the protocol that allowed the maintenance of the highest integrity of microbial community.
This study provides critical insights into the development of protocols for studying
cutaneous microbiota in endangered amphibian species like Speleomantes. The established protocol can aid in ongoing monitoring efforts, contribute to conservation strategies, and enhance our understanding of the role of microbiota in amphibian health and ecology. Additionally, the findings may have broader implications for microbiota research in other wildlife conservation contexts
Exploring Cultivable Stress-Tolerant Bacteria in the Skin of Speleomantes italicus
No full textThe skin microbiota protects organisms from external agents and environmental stress rising due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. As part of projectFFORIC24.35, we aim to characterize the skin microbiota of European plethodontid salamanders (genus Speleomantes), a group of eight strictly protected species that are either endemic or sub-endemic in Italy. The present study focused on the cultivable bacterial communities associated with individuals from a cave population of S. italicus from Abruzzo region. The cultivable microbiota of twelve individuals was sampled and isolated using the Nutrient Agar medium by swabbing the collected samples on plates and then incubating them at 29°C for 48 hours. After purification, we characterized the bacterial isolated strains based on morphological traits and bacteriological classifications. Each strain was also tested for heavy metal stress, drought tolerance, and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. The isolates with interesting characteristics were
identified using DNA barcoding and phylogenetic analysis. The isolation yielded seventeen strains, the majority of which being classified under the Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Interesting outcomes were observed from the heavy metal stress test, emphasizing the capacity of seven strains to withstand moderate to high levels of copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, aluminium, and lead. Additionally, some selected bacterial strains exhibited positive results in drought tolerance and EPS production, indicating
their potential involvement in maintaining the hydration of salamander skin. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis allowed us to identify most isolates as Bacillus sp. and Streptomyces sp. Understanding the cutaneous microbiota of Speleomantes increases our knowledge about its implications for amphibian ecology and health, leading to improved conservation strategies. Our preliminary results lay the groundwork for describing the cutaneous microbiota of the genus Speleomantes, exploring its
potential role in contributing to the production of cutaneous secretions and mitigating environmental stresses.
This study received funding from the European Union – Next-GenerationEU – National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) –MISSION 4 COMPONENT 2, INVESTIMENT N. 1.1., CALL PRIN 2022 PNRR D. .D. 1409 del 14-09-2022 – (METALCAVE)
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
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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
Author-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.
No full textAuthor-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.</p
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