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    Study of fertility traits in Italian Jersey Cattle

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    Selection Index of Italian Jersey cattle is composed by breeding values (BVs) of production traits, type traits and somatic cell score. Knowing selection for milk yield has been proved to deteriorate fertility performances, aim of the Italian Holstein, Brown and Jersey Breeders Association (ANAFIBJ) is to develop a fertility index inspired to the model they use for Italian Holstein breed. The model used considers different phenotypes for heifer and cow evaluation, but while for Holstein only the first three parities are considered, for Jersey all parities are considered to overcome the lower size of the population. Starting from two different datasets, containing data on inseminations and lactations we derived several fertility traits. From the inseminations dataset we harvested information on the dates of services, which we grouped in baches of a maximum length of 300 days. The groups of inseminations have then been attached to the calvings happened in an interval of 260–300 days from at least one of the services in the group. Phenotypes estimated for both heifers and cows are Non-Return Rate at 56 days (NRR56) and Interval from First to Last service (IFL); Age at First Insemination (AFI) has been computed only for heifers, while Days from delivery To First Service (DTFS) and Equivalent Milk Yield 305 (EMY305) only for cows. The values of the phenotypes have been filtered to be in line with biological and economic criteria of cattle farming. The final dataset is composed of 35081 records for heifers and 100285 records for cows. Correlations and Co-Variances between the phenotypes have been calculated. For Heifers we observe a slight positive correlation between AFI and NRR56 (ρxy = −0.061) and a negative correlation between NRR56 and IFL (ρxy = −0.349); IFL and AFI are negatively correlated (ρxy = −0.048). For cow fertility traits NRR56 resulted to be positively correlated with DTFS (ρxy = 0.088) and negatively correlated with EMY305 (ρxy = −0.092) and IFL (ρxy = −0.293); DTFS resulted negatively correlated to IFL (ρxy = −0.015) and EMY305 (ρxy = −0.045), while IFL and EMY305 resulted positively correlated (ρxy = 0.083). The next step is to calculate genetic parameters and EBVs for fertility traits for Italian Jersey

    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

    Italian local chicken breeds: a comparative analysis of biodiversity on a global scale

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    Background: Chickens, domesticated around 3500 years ago, are crucial in global agriculture, resulting in hundreds of breeds worldwide. In Europe, intensive breeding has led to the creation of numerous distinct commercial lines at the expense of local breeds. As a result, local breeds, which are not subject to rigorous selective practices, face higher risks of genetic problems due to a narrower genetic base. Modern genotyping and bioinformatic approaches allow detailed genetic analysis. This study offers a comprehensive genetic overview of Italian chicken biodiversity compared to global breeds, emphasizing the importance of preserving local genetic diversity. Results: Hundred and ninety-two chicken breeds from various countries were analyzed, with Italian breeds being highly represented. Genetic relationships showed that Italian breeds clustered with some European, African, and Asian breeds. The ADMIXTURE analysis identified 25 distinct populations and highlighted genetic similarities of certain Italian breeds with German, French, and Swiss ones. Genetic diversity was high in African and some Asian and European breeds, with Italian breeds exhibiting moderate diversity and variability. The TreeMix analysis revealed significant migration events and evolutionary clustering. The Italian breeds had close genetic ties and some highlighted evidence of genetic introgression from common ancestors. Conclusions: Italian chicken breeds have significant genetic relationships with European, Asian, and African breeds, reflecting historical trade and breeding exchanges. Southern Italian breeds form a distinct genetic group, highlighting regional uniqueness. Overall, the research points out the need for conservation strategies to preserve genetic diversity and account for historical and contemporary gene flows, ensuring the sustainability of Italian chicken biodiversity in the face of environmental and agricultural challenges

    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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    koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist

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    We 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
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