1,720,992 research outputs found
Biological activities of gastropods secretions: snail and slug slime
Full text linkGastropods, a mollusk class including slugs and snails, represent an extraordinarily diverse and ecologically significant group of organisms featuring the largest class of invertebrates. They can be classified as aquatic and terrestrial animals having coiled shells, although some species have reduced or absent shells. Their unique body structure includes a muscular foot for locomotion, a visceral mass containing essential organs, and a distinct head region with sensory organs such as tentacles and eyes. They are used to secrete a complex mixture of glycoproteins, enzymes, peptides, mucus and other bioactive compounds, namely slime, which represents a tool to allow locomotion, protection, and interaction within different habitats. The biological activities of the slime have attracted considerable interest due to their diverse and potentially valuable properties ranging from defense mechanisms to potential therapeutic applications in wound healing, antimicrobial therapy, management of inflammation, and neurological disorders. This review aims at exploring the beneficial effects of snail and slug slime focusing, in particular, on the improvement of the biological processes underlying them. Continued exploration of the intricate components of these slimy secretions promises to discover new bioactive molecules with diverse applications in various scientific and industrial fields
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
Development and characterization of a new cosmetic formulation enriched with optimized Thanaka bark extract (H. crenulata)
No full textThanaka is a Burmese plant typical of traditional medicine, used for topical application. Coumarins give this plant beneficial properties for the skin, like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, as well as anti-acne and anti-age activities. This work aimed to develop a novel cosmetic formulation containing Thanaka extract by evaluating and comparing the chemical and biological properties of extracts obtained through Soxhlet (SE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using different solvents, in order to select the most effective extract for cosmetic applications. All the extracts were assessed regarding antioxidant capacity using spectrophotometric assays and total phenol content by Folin-Ciocalteu's assay. The extract samples named as 4UAE, 2UAE, 2SE, and 4SE with a higher antioxidant capacity, were then assessed for anti-collagenase activity and quantification of marmesin using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD). With a value of 480.77 μg/g Dry Weight (DW), extract 2SE was found to have the highest marmesin content among the samples tested. The two extracts (2SE and 4UAE) with the highest antioxidant capacity were then in vitro tested on Human Gingival Fibroblasts (HGFs) for a biological evaluation of cell viability (MTT Assay), morphological analysis, gene expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and Collagen 1 (Col1), antioxidant capacity, and Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion. The in vitro results positively characterize Thanaka extracts, confirming their anti-collagenase activity and demonstrating their capability to stimulate Col1 synthesis, thus promoting extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. A sample extracted using the SE method with ethanol at 70° was used to formulate a face cosmetic cream that was then further characterized in terms of density, pH, physicochemical, and microbial stability. The formulation's efficacy and safety were evaluated on 20 healthy volunteers after 30 days of daily use of the cosmetic cream. The local compatibility test, Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL), deep and surface hydration, and skin elasticity were assessed. After the daily use of the face cream enriched with Thanaka extract, a decrease in the evaporation rate value was observed. After 30 days, image skin analyses with Antera 3D were also acquired to evaluate wrinkles and fine lines, redness (hemoglobin), color (melanin), and pores. Skin analysis demonstrated that the regular use of cosmetic face cream substantially improved overall skin health, showing a decreasing trend for the evaluated parameter from time 0 (t0) to day 30(t2). The inclusion of the selected promising extract in a topical cosmetic formulation confirmed an unquestionable anti-age activity, providing a valid basis for further research and dermatological uses of Thanaka bark
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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