1,721,163 research outputs found
Obiettivo dell’Indice di Sostenibilità e metodologia comune per la costruzione dell’Indice
No full textNel presente capitolo viene illustrata la metodologia di lavoro che ha portato al raggiungimento dell’obiettivo del progetto Poliedro, ovvero la creazione di un Indice di Sostenibilità
utile a valutare un prodotto o un azienda agroalimentare per gli aspetti ambientali, economici e sociali, seguendo l’approccio del ciclo di vita
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
Cytokines and soluble receptors of the interleukin-1 family in Schnitzler syndrome
No full textOBJECTIVES: Schnitzler syndrome (SchS) is an autoinflammatory disorder characterized by chronic urticaria, fever, and monoclonal gammopathy. The success of interleukin-1 (IL-1) blocking therapies suggests a crucial role for IL-1 in disease induction. The aim of this study is to perform a comprehensive analysis of IL-1 family cytokines and soluble receptors in a group of SchS patients. METHOD: Three patients fulfilling the criteria for the diagnosis of SchS were recruited; 80 blood donors formed the control group. IL-1 family cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-33, IL-18), soluble receptors (sIL-1R1, sIL-1R2, sIL-1R3, sIL-1R4), and antagonists [IL-1Ra, IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP)] were measured by a multiarray enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Free IL-18 was calculated as the amount of IL-18 not inhibited by IL-18BP. Cytokine levels were compared by the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: IL-18 and free IL-18 were increased in patients compared with controls (p = 0.005 and p = 0.0082, respectively), while IL-18BP levels were not different. IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-33 were undetectable in both patients and controls. The soluble receptors sIL-1R1, sIL-1R2, and ST2/sIL-1R4, and the IL-1 antagonist IL-1Ra were all within normal ranges; sIL-1R3 was significantly lower in patients than in controls (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that SchS is characterized by increased circulating levels of free IL-18, possibly leading to a higher activation of innate/inflammatory effector cells. At variance with other inflammatory diseases, the lack of increase in sIL-1R1 and sIL-1R2 and the decreased levels of sIL-R3 imply a failure in the counterbalancing mechanism aimed at inhibiting excessive IL-1β in tissues
New biomarkers in SLE: from bench to bedside
Full text linkBiomarkers may have a diagnostic or monitoring value, or may predict response to therapy or disease course. The aim of this review is to discuss new serum and urinary biomarkers recently proposed for the diagnosis and management of SLE patients. Novel sensitive and specific assays have been proposed to evaluate complement proteins, 'old' biomarkers that are still a cornerstone in the management of this disease. Chemokines and lectins have been evaluated as surrogate biomarkers of IFN signature. Other cytokines like the B cell activating factor (BAFF) family cytokines are directly related to perturbations of the B cell compartment as key pathogenetic mechanism of the disease. A large number of urine biomarkers have been proposed, either related to the migration and homing of leukocytes to the kidney or to the local regulation of inflammatory circuits and the survival of renal intrinsic cells. The combination of traditional disease-specific biomarkers and novel serum or urine biomarkers may represent the best choice to correctly classify, stage and treat patients with SLE
Effects of green-manure and organic fertiliser on organic maize (Zea Mays L.) in south Tuscany
No full textGreen-manure in Mediterranean stockless organic farms is a useful tool to improve nitrogen availability, reduce production cost and conserve soil fertility. A 2-year on farm research was carried out in Tuscany (Italy) to evaluate the effect of 3 different green manures (Hordeum v. + Avena s. mixture, Trifolium s. + Avena s. mixture, Vicia faba var. minor) and 2 levels of organic N fertilization (0 and 120 Kg N ha-1) on maize in 2004 and 2005. Green manures were ploughed into the soil in April 2004 and organic fertiliser was applied before sowing; neither green manure nor fertilizers were applied in 2005 to evaluate the residual effect of the treatments. The effect of the distribution of organic fertilizer was not efficient in comparison to green-manure. Field- bean increased maize productivity in both the years thanks to an increase in N availability as suggested by its total N uptake that exceeded the uptake of maize after control by 19.5 and 14,3 Kg N ha-1 in the first and second year. In our experimental conditions, with low organic matter and nitrogen content in the soil, the use of grasses as green-manure caused temporary immobilisation of N and maize yield reduction
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