1,721,005 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

    Effects of Epidermal Growth Factor on horse skin from different anatomical locations

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    Healing can be impaired in horses depending on the anatomical location of the wound. Wounds on the limb may develop exuberant granulation tissue that does not re-epithelialize, evolving in aberrant scarring, known as “proud flesh”. This preliminary ex vivo study investigates the effects of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) on epidermal thickness and re-epithelialisation of cultured horse skin.Skin strips were obtained from a euthanized horse exempt of dermatological lesions. From the mentioned strips, six-mm full-thickness punch biopsies were obtained from body and limb skin and cultured in a serum free medium, then treated for 6 days (D): 10ng/mL or 20 ng/mL Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) either alone or with 10μg/mL Dexamethasone (DMS). Culture medium and treatments were replaced every other day. Epidermal thickness and the length of neoformed peripheral epidermis (μm) were measured at D3, D5 and D7.The higher dose of EGF modified epidermal thickness in skin from both locations at D5: a statistically significant increase was observed for body skin while a decrease was observed for limb skin. Analogously, a signifi-cant increase of the neoformed peripheral epidermis (epithelial tongue) was observed at D5 for body skin; although a decrease was seen in limb skin, it failed to reach statistical significance. Statistically significant changes were not observed at both D3 or D7.Our findings confirm the dif-ferences between body and limb skin morpho-physiology reported in horses. Moreover, while body skin responded to EGF as hypothesised, limb skin showed an unexpected response

    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

    Immunolocalization of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), monoglyceride lipase (MGL) and fatty-acid amide hydrolase 1 (FAAH) in the pig claustrum

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    The claustrum (Cl) is a subcortical nucleus present in all mammalian species examined so far, whose function is still a puzzling problem. There is a wealth of data on its general anatomy, cytoarchitecture, and chemoarchitecture including the connectivity with both cortical and subcortical structures; instead, much less is known about the presence of the endocannabinoid system (ECs) an important neuromodulatory complex in this brain area. In an attempt to better understand the role of the ECs within the Cl circuitry, we undertook an immunohistochemical analysis to describe the distribution of the CB1 and of the endogenous cannabinoids degrading enzymes MGL and FAAH in the pig Cl as well as their relationship with both the catecholaminergic system and with parvalbumin (PV) expressing neurons. CB1, FAAH and MGL were expressed throughout the entire Cl. CB1 was expressed by fibers and puncta, while FAAH and MGL were mainly localized in the neuropil. FAAH also showed a faint cell body localization that colocalized with PV. Tyrosine hydroxylase positive fibers (catecholaminergic system), did not demonstrate the presence of CB1. Taken together, the results described herein provide evidence for an anatomical distribution of a CB1/PV signaling system in the pig Cl suggesting that PV cells may play a role within the ECs

    Combined immunohistochemical protocols to differentiate macrophages within the mononuclear-phagocyte system

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    Background: The “mononuclear phagocyte system” (MPS) refers to dispersed mononuclear monocytes and macrophages and is used to distinguish them from polymorphonuclear cells. The term “histiocyte” indicates large cells with voluminous granulated cytoplasm, sometimes containing engulfed particles, recognized as fully differentiated end cells of the MPS. Dendritic cells (DC) represent another diversified population whose inclusion in the MPS is still debated. The diverse cells of the MPS cannot all be characterized by single antigen markers or unique functions expressed at all stages of cell differentiation or activation. Nevertheless, in a diagnostic setting, their reliable identification plays a major role when a specific therapy must be established. Understanding the heterogeneity among MPS cell populations is indeed relevant to define different therapeutic approaches that can range from the use of antibiotics to immunomodulatory agents. For this reason, we attempted to establish a protocol to reliably identify the proportion of macrophages within the mononuclear phagocyte system in a tissue and/or in a given inflammatory population. Methods: the Tafuri method was used in different double immunofluorescence protocols using an anti-Iba-1, anti-MAC387, and anti-CD11b-CD68-CD163-CD14-CD16 antibody. Results and discussion: in normal canine skin the anti-Iba-1 antibody stained an epidermal cell population (i.e. Langerhans cells) and scattered cells within the dermal compartment. MAC387 was unable to stain cells containing Leishmania amastigotes in leishmaniasis-diagnosed samples as the anti-CD11b-CD68-CD163-CD14-CD16 antibody did. By using a combination of staining protocols to differentiate macrophages within the whole histiocytic infiltrate we validated the use of a cocktail of rabbit monoclonal antibodies raised against CD11b, CD68, CD163, CD14, CD16 to stain skin macrophages

    Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and keratinocyte differentiation in equine experimental body and limb wounds healing by second intention

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    Background: The re-epithelialization process in equine wound healing is incompletely described. For epithelial cells to migrate during embryogenesis they undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT); this phenotypic transition occurs during wound healing in humans and rodents, but it has not been investigated in horses. Hypothesis/objectives: To investigate keratinocyte differentiation and EMT in equine experimental excisional limb and body wounds healing by second intention. Animals: Six adult research horses. Methods and materials: Immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect expression of the differentiation markers cytokeratin (CK)10, CK14, loricrin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α), and of the EMT markers E-cadherin and N-cadherin in normal limb and body skin, and biopsies from limb and body wounds. Results: Loricrin and CK10 were expressed in normal skin and periwound skin but not in migrating epithelium of body and limb wounds. However, they reappeared at the migrating epithelial tip of body wounds only. CK14 and PPAR-α had uniform distribution throughout the migrating epithelium. N-cadherin was not expressed in normal unwounded skin but was detected in periwound skin adjacent to the wound margin. E-cadherin expression decreased at the wound margin. Conclusions and clinical importance: Presence of N-cadherin suggests that cadherin switching occurred during wound healing, this may be an indication that EMT occurs in horses. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this has never been described in horses before and warrants further investigation to assess the clinical implications. The tip of the migrating epithelium in body wounds appeared more differentiated than limb wounds, which could be part of the explanation for the superior healing of body wounds

    Age-related changes in the primary motor cortex of newborn to adult domestic pig sus scrofa domesticus

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    The pig has been increasingly used as a suitable animal model in translational neuroscience. However, several features of the fast-growing, immediately motor-competent cerebral cortex of this species have been adequately described. This study analyzes the cytoarchitecture of the primary motor cortex (M1) of newborn, young and adult pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus). Moreover, we investigated the distribution of the neural cells expressing the calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) (calretinin, CR; parvalbumin, PV) throughout M1. The primary motor cortex of newborn piglets was characterized by a dense neuronal arrangement that made the discrimination of the cell layers difficult, except for layer one. The absence of a clearly recognizable layer four, typical of the agranular cortex, was noted in young and adult pigs. The morphometric and immunohistochemical analy-ses revealed age-associated changes characterized by (1) thickness increase and neuronal density (number of cells/mm2 of M1) reduction during the first year of life; (2) morphological changes of CR-immunoreactive neurons in the first months of life; (3) higher density of CR-and PV-immunopositive neurons in newborns when compared to young and adult pigs. Since most of the present findings match with those of the human M1, this study strengthens the growing evidence that the brain of the pig can be used as a potentially valuable translational animal model during growth and development
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