1,721,023 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
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
Biogeography: Its History and Continuing Relevance to Paleoanthropology
Full text linkBiogeography figured prominently in the formation of the modern natural sciences and played a crucial role in Darwin’s theory of natural selection. However, as an avenue of investigation, biogeography remained underdeveloped until the last half of the twentieth century when the scientific community at large accepted the legitimacy of plate tectonics. The investigation of the spatial and temporal distribution of life on earth was finally conjoined with investigations of earth’s geological history. Paleoanthropologists have long been focused on the spatial and temporal distribution of hominin species on the African landscape and beyond. As biogeographers have continued to refine their methods, particularly with regard to cladistic analyses, paleoanthropologists can potentially gain new insight into the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens
Portable Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Physical Anthropology and Primate Ecology Field Settings
Full text linkAbstract
Portable near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a fast, dependable, and cost- effective method for assessing nutritional chemistry in different plant species. Portable NIR can streamline analysis and investigation within ecological field settings, allowing researchers to evaluate significant nutritional variation for among populations and species of plants. The use of NIR in agriculture is common, but the application of portable NIR in fieldwork is still new in ecology. NIR in field settings has the potential to open new avenues of research, and can also save time and money when used in more traditional projects. To test the applicability of portable NIR spectroscopy in the field, I used nutritional data from South African savanna plant samples generated using wet chemistry, and NIR spectra of the same samples, to create regression models to predict plant nutritional properties from spectral data. I created regression models to predict crude fat, crude protein, and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of all plant organs (root, leaf, inflor, fruit, rhizome, and stem) and also specifically for leaf. My findings indicate that portable NIR can be used to predict crude protein and acid detergent fiber of South, African savanna plant samples. My findings also indicate that portable NIR is valuable for researchers in field settings, providing them with instant access to information
The Effects Of Environmental Heterogeneity At Multiple Scales On A Community Of Five Diurnal Lemurs In Betampona Natural Reserve, Madagascar: A Landscape Ecology Approach
Full text linkTo understand a particular species' or community's response to forest fragments, the habitat attributes and the landscape pattern must first be quantified. However, methodology that identifies the influence of landscape pattern and local habitat structural attributes on species or community viability is poorly developed for non-human primates in fragmented forests. Successful primate conservation requires an understanding of how environmental variability at both micro- and macro-scales affects community structure and habitat use. The objective of this research was to identify landscape and local ecological characteristics that affect lemur community richness, abundance, and diversity using spatial analysis at multiple scales in Betampona Natural Reserve, Madagascar. This was accomplished through a landscape ecology perspective to document the effects of environmental heterogeneity on habitat use, behavior, and movement patterns among a community of five diurnal lemurs in a forest fragment. Vegetation structural analysis within forest patches, point-counts, and radio-collar-aided follows, in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems, were methods used to address the disconnect that has emerged involving the importance of landscape spatial pattern and primate extinction risk. The main conclusions of this research include: 1) the quantified patches demonstrate differences in micro - and macro-habitat attributes, 2) variation exists in lemur community structure and diversity indices within the patches, 3) point-count data suggest that micro- and macrohabitat features affect lemur resting, moving, and feeding behaviors, whereas radio-collar-aided follows indicate that macrohabitat has less of an effect on lemur behavior, 4) it is inappropriate to make broad generalizations based on a particular response of one population, one group, or even one individual primate to habitat alteration and extinction risk with any degree of certainty, and 5) consolidating ecological and behavioral variation into a single category such as "fragmentation," undermines the ability to identify correlates of extinction risk. The development of conservation methodology and building comprehensive data sets to understand how biodiversity utilizes its environment at multiple spatial scales is vital. These data will provide information for reforestation and corridor projects in an island nation where forests are disappearing, demanding conservation solutions that aim to reinforce the balance between development and biodiversity
Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia
Full text linkStable isotope analysis of hair was used to investigate the dietary patterns of individuals from the Christian period Sudanese Nubian site of Kulubnarti, taking into consideration established patterns of health. Over three decades of research has shown consistent differences between two cemetery populations, believed to represent diachronic periods of use. In this study, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to reconstruct aspects of diet, while oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to evaluate the belief that S cemetery dates to the Early Christian period (A.D. 600-850), while the R cemetery dates to the Late Christian period (A.D. 1100-1400). These isotopic data suggest that diets were very similar between the two populations, and therefore did not directly cause the observed differential patterns of stress. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic data supports the diachronicity of the two cemeteries, an idea which has been called into question by a recent textile analysis
The Determinants of Health: Nutritional Methods and Quantitative Analysis of Supermarket Produce Quality Variation across Socioeconomic Areas and Season
Full text linkIt has been argued that there is an inverse relationship between health and socioeconomic status (SES). Individuals of low SES, as defined by low levels of education and income, are more likely to have poor health and higher observed rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity. The federal government, primarily the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services have responded with various nutritional policies and subsidies that strive to diminish disparity and promote overall good health. These policies largely focus on increasing access to both supermarkets and fresh produce in low socioeconomic areas, working under the assumption that improved access will increase consumption of healthier foods. One potential limitation of recommendations from government agencies designed to increase access to supermarkets is the assumption that grocery store produce does not vary in quality from store to store or over time. If this assumption is untrue, these policies may not be sufficient to provide equal access to healthy foods. This thesis is a preliminary examination of this fundamental assumption behind food policies and is comprised of three parts: 1) A concise literature review of the factors that affect health, especially with relation to cardiovascular disease, overweight, and obesity, 2) a description of the macronutrient components explored during this study and the analytical methodology used to understand the quality of foods in a diet, and 3) a pilot study that examines the nutritional variance of supermarket produce from disparate socioeconomic areas. Preliminary results for the produce analyzed refute the assumption that all grocery store produce is equivalent in quality. When the samples are pooled, they are comparable to the USDA reported values. However, when samples are compared across supermarket and season, macronutrient content of these samples significantly vary. Differences between supermarkets are more strongly contributing to the observed variation than differences between seasons. Differences between supermarkets are driven to some extent by the amount of water that these fruits and vegetables contain. In general, produce purchased from the low SES supermarket contains more water than those from the high SES supermarket.</p
Stable Isotope Analysis of Hair from Christian Period Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia
Full text linkStable isotope analysis of hair was used to investigate the dietary patterns of individuals from the Christian period Sudanese Nubian site of Kulubnarti, taking into consideration established patterns of health. Over three decades of research has shown consistent differences between two cemetery populations, believed to represent diachronic periods of use. In this study, carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to reconstruct aspects of diet, while oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios were analyzed to evaluate the belief that S cemetery dates to the Early Christian period (A.D. 600-850), while the R cemetery dates to the Late Christian period (A.D. 1100-1400). These isotopic data suggest that diets were very similar between the two populations, and therefore did not directly cause the observed differential patterns of stress. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic data supports the diachronicity of the two cemeteries, an idea which has been called into question by a recent textile analysis
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