1,721,141 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
A Critical Appraisal of Probiotics for Mastitis Control
No full textThe urge to reduce antimicrobials use in dairy farming has prompted a search for alternative solutions. As infections of the mammary gland is a major reason for antibiotic administration to dairy ruminants, mammary probiotics have recently been presented as a possible alternative for the treatment of mastitis. To assess the validity of this proposal, we performed a general appraisal of the knowledge related to probiotics for mammary health by examining their potential modes of action and assessing the compatibility of these mechanisms with the immunobiology of mammary gland infections. Then we analyzed the literature published on the subject, taking into account the preliminary in vitro experiments and the in vivo trials. Preliminary experiments aimed essentially at exploring in vitro the capacity of putative probiotics, mainly lactic acid bacteria (LABs), to interfere with mastitis-associated bacteria or to interact with mammary epithelial cells. A few studies used LABs selected on the basis of bacteriocin production or the capacity to adhere to epithelial cells to perform in vivo experiments. Intramammary infusion of LABs showed that LABs are pro-inflammatory for the mammary gland, inducing an intense influx of neutrophils into milk during lactation and at drying-off. Yet, their capacity to cure mastitis remains to be established. A few preliminary studies tackle the possibility of using probiotics to interfere with the teat apex microbiota or to prevent the colonization of the teat canal by pathogenic bacteria. From the analysis of the published literature, it appears that currently there is no sound scientific foundation for the use of probiotics to prevent or treat mastitis. We conclude that the prospects for oral probiotics are not promising for ruminants, those for intramammary probiotics should be considered with caution, but that teat apex probiotics deserve further research
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
Modulation by IL-17A and IL-17F of bovine mammary epithelial cell innate immune response to Staphylococcus aureus components
No full textL’IL-17 est une cytokine essentielle dans la défense de l’organisme contre de nombreuses bactéries pathogènes extracellulaires, comme Siaphylococcus aureus qui est un agent majeur des mammites des ruminants, en agissant en particulier sur les cellules épithéliales. L’objectif du travail était de tester l’hypothèse d’un rôle de i’IL-17 dans la protection de la mamelle en caractérisant la réponse des cellules épithéliales mammaires bovines (CEMb) à l’IL-17A et à l’IL-17F. Ces cytokines bovines ont été utilisées seules ou en combinaison avec des agonistes du système immunitaire inné produits par S. aureus, le muramyl dipeptide (MDP) et l’acide lipotéichoïque (LTA). Une première étude a montré que le LTA et le MDP exercent un effet synergique dans la mamelle et sur les CEMb en culture. Le tissu mammaire et les CEMb expriment le récepteur pour l’IL-l7A et F, et les CEMb ont répondu à i’lL-l7A et l’IL-l7F, bien que de façon modérée. Les réponses ont été sensiblement augmentées par la combinaison de l’IL-17 avec le LTA ou le MDP. Les réponses se caractérisent par une production de chimiokines capables d’attirer les polynucléaires neutrophiles et les leucocytes mononucléés, ainsi que par une surexpression de gènes à activités antibactériennes. Par contre, les CEMb ne produisent pas de cytokines inflammatoires. Ces résultats indiquent que i’IL-l7 est adaptée à un fonctionnement en milieu septique et ales capacités pour jouer un rôle dans la protection de la mamelle contre les infections staphylococciques.Through its activity on epithelial cells, interleukin-17 is a pivotai cytokine for the host defense against several extracellular pathogens, such as Siaphylococcus aureus that is a major agent of mastitis of ruminants. The investigation aimed at evaluating the role of IL-17 in udder protection by characterizing the response of bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMEC) to IL-17A and IL-17F. These bovine cytokines were used either alone or in combination with one of two innate immune system agonists associated with S. aureus, muramyldipeptide (MDP) or lipoteichoic acid (LTA). The first study showed that LTA synergized with MDP to recruit neutrophils in the mammary gland and to stimulate bMEC. A second study established that mammary tissue and bMEC in culture express the IL-17 receptor, and that bMEC respond to IL-17A and IL-17F, although with a moderate intensity. The response was noticeably augmented by the combination of IL-17 with LTA or MDP. The response was characterized by the production of chemokines able to attract neutrophils but also mononuclear leukocytes, as well as by an overexpression of genes endowed with antibacterial activity. Remarkably, bMEC did not release pro inflammatory cytokines. These results indicate that IL-17A and IL-17F are well suited for operating in a septic environment and have the potential to play a role in udder protection against staphylococcal infections
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
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