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Architecture of Ancestral Genomic Components in the Sicilian Mastiff
Full text linkThe Sicilian Mastiff (or Mannara dog), is an indigenous Sicilian livestock guardian dog (LGD) breed with approximately
700 registered individuals. Formal recognition as a distinct breed was conferred by the Italian Kennel
Club in 2023 and efforts to attain international recognition are ongoing. Previous studies have identified the
Maremma and the Abruzzes sheepdog as the closest relative of the Sicilian Mastiff, highlighting a shared history
and overlapping functional characteristics typical of LGDs. Thus, investigating the genetic makeup of the Sicilian
Mastiff becomes essential to safeguarding and enhancing its cultural heritage and role in Sicilian pastoralism.
In this study, the genetic investigation of 12 Sicilian Mastiffs revealed significant divergence from other breeds,
while also confirming a close genetic relationship with the Maremma sheepdog. Therefore, local ancestry inference
analyses were performed to identify genomic regions potentially influenced by the Maremma sheepdog, in
comparison with other European and Mediterranean LGD breeds. Several genomic regions exhibited strong introgression
with the Maremma sheepdog. Among the genes within highly introgressed (99th percentile) regions identified
in at least three of these comparisons, several were associated with traits characteristic of LGD. These traits
included behavioral attributes such as aggression towards strangers, morphological features such as drop ears,
and physical attributes enhancing their guarding abilities. These findings support the hypothesis that centuries of
selective pressures shaped the Sicilian Mastiff, highlighting its genetic and cultural value for pastoral communities.
To explore the Sicilian Mastiff’s genetic evolution and adaptability, extensive sampling is being conducted to
assess changes in its genetic variability and structure over the past decade. During this period, breeders have been
encouraged to adopt more stringent and informed selection practices. This longitudinal approach aims to provide
valuable insights into the impact of modern management practices on the genetic profile of the breed
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
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
Genetic and nongenetic variation of fertility parameters in Comisana and Massese sheep
No full textDairy sheep farming relies on the capacity to maximize milk yield and solids output concurrently with excellent fertility parameters. However, productive and reproductive performances are known to be antagonistically correlated from a genetic point of view, suggesting that selecting only for yield output can potentially decrease the genetic merit for fertility over time. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify sources of phenotypic variation and to estimate genetic parameters for fertility traits in two Italian dairy sheep. Data were collected between 2015 and 2020 in the ASSONAPA nucleus herd of Comisana and Massese breeds located in Asciano (Siena, Italy). The following phenotypes were investigated: the number of total born lambs, born-alive lambs, stillborn lambs, weaned lambs as well as stillbirth (stillborn lambs/total born), and survival (weaned lambs/total born). Data were analysed separately by breed and within breed by physiological status (primiparous and multiparous ewes). Fixed effects included in the linear mixed model were age and year at first lambing (only primiparous), lambing order and year of lambing (multiparous). Season of lambing fixed effect was included only for Massese (lamb) ewes. Additive genetic, permanent environment (for ewes), and the residual were fitted as random terms. Inbreeding coefficients were computed for each individual from pedigree data. Heritability estimates in lamb ewes ranged from 0.03 (Massese stillborn lambs) to 0.06 (Comisana born-alive lams). Heritability of ewe fertility traits was greater, varying from 0.07 (Massese weaned lambs) to 0.15 (Comisana total born lambs). Inbreeding coefficients were below 0.10 in almost all individuals for both breeds. Although the magnitude was not very large, genetic variation does exist for almost all fertility traits. These results suggest the inclusion of reproductive performance in an aggregate selection index for Comisana and Massese breeds
From Tradition to Recognition: Characterizing the Maltese Hunting Dog (Kelb tal-Kaċċa ta’ Malta) in Support of Its Preservation
Full text linkThe Maltese Hunting Dog (Kelb tal-Kaċċa ta’ Malta, KTKM) is deeply rooted in Malta’s hunting tradition, with
historical records tracing its presence back to the 16th century. Despite the absence of official recognition, this
breed has been preserved and selectively maintained over centuries, thanks to the dedication of breeders. This
study aimed to characterize the phenotypic and genomic features of 24 KTKM individuals to support their official
recognition and conservation. Morphological analyses defined the KTKM as a mesocephalic and mesomorphic
breed, characterized by large pendulous ears, a ”Braque”-type face, and a short coat with white-patched pheomelanic
colouration. Genomic comparisons with 46 dog breeds consistently revealed the KTKM’s unique genetic
identity and high uniformity, placing it near pointing dogs while highlighting ancient connections with the Maltese
Pharaoh Hound. Moreover, despite the small population size and geographic isolation, KTKM displayed
relatively low levels of genomic inbreeding. Effective population size was 76, with a trend dropping 12 generations
ago. To identify potential introgressed genomic regions, local ancestry inference was performed against nine
historically, phenotypically, or genomically relevant breeds. Several emerged regions were associated with key
morphological traits -e.g., coat color and length, ear shape, and size-, behaviour, and physical or cognitive abilities
important for hunting tasks. In conclusion, the KTKM emerges as a genetically distinct and uniform population
belonging to the pointing dog group. Its moderate inbreeding levels and unique genomic characteristics support
the possibility of preserving the breed through dedicated conservation efforts. This study underscores the critical
need to protect the KTKM’s genetic diversity and cultural heritage, providing a foundation for its official recognition
and long-term preservation
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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