1,720,964 research outputs found
Insect Derived Lauric Acid as Promising Alternative Strategy to Antibiotics in the Antimicrobial Resistance Scenario
Get PDFAntibiotic misuse is greatly contributing to an increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans and animals. Natural and synthetic alternative strategies are being investigated in human and veterinary medicine, but little attention is paid to the antimicrobial effects of edible lipids, such as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and monoglycerides. Among MCFAs, lauric acid (LA) and its monoglyceride derivative, glycerol monolaurate (GML), exhibit the strongest antimicrobial activity. Coconut and palm kernel oils are considered the main sources of LA. On the other hand, some edible insects (e.g., Hermetia illucens) are gaining interest as novel feed ingredients, due to the high amount of LA they contain as well as their numerous bioactive components, which provide many additional benefits to animal health. Although the beneficial effect of both MCFAs and LA is gradually being recognized, their high content within insects and, consequently, their possible role as antimicrobials, has not been well-reported. This mini review focuses on the anti-infective effects of the insect-derived MCFAs LA and its derivatives. We emphasize the potential of insect lipids, compared to the other vegetable sources, in the current global scenario where a sustainable and circular economy is required. Finally, we critically discuss the use and the benefits of edible insects such as favorable options as feed and food from the perspective of animal and human nutrition
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
Get PDF“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
Wild birds and the ecology of antimicrobial resistance: an approach to monitoring
Get PDFTackling the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)requires joint efforts according to the principles of the OneHealth approach. In this context, wildlife, and especially wildbirds, are recognized as an important bridge between environ-ment, humans and livestock in perpetuating AMR. Over thelast decades, important progress has been made in under-standing the role of wild birds as carriers of antibiotic‐resistantbacteria and their genes (ARGs) within ecosystems; however,there are still many knowledge gaps regarding transmissionsources and routes. This commentary summarizes studies fromrecent years focusing on AMR in wild birds, highlighting themost frequently found zoonotic bacteria harboring ARGs andthe possible exchange scenarios between humans, livestock,and wild birds. We emphasize the need to standardize andoptimize a wild bird monitoring approach for AMR surveillancethat includes non‐invasive sampling methods, culture‐independent techniques for identification of ARGs, databaseintegration and implementation, and machine learning technol-ogy. This multidisciplinary perspective, which could involveveterinarians, biologists, ornithologists, conservationists, andmanagers, may represent part of the solution, not only forwildlife conservation but also for global health, consideringthat the goal is to reverse the route of AMR
Microbiological survey of sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) kept as pets in Italy.
No full textThe sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small, arboreal, nocturnal, gliding mammalian possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. Exotic marsupials, including sugar gliders, are becoming popular companion pets and, consequently, the risk of potential infections that can be transmitted to humans should be investigated. Data on the role of the sugar glider as a possible carrier of pathogenic and zoonotic bacteria are scarce and fragmentary. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the prevalence of potentially zoonotic bacteria (Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica) in 64 sugar gliders kept as pets in Italy. The highest prevalence of infection pertained to members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, in particular Citrobacter spp. (50%), Enterobacter spp. (28.1%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.6%); Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 10 out of 64 samples (15.6%). All strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited some level of resistance to multiple antimicrobials (ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and doxycycline)
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe 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
Histopathological and microbiological findings in buffalo chronic mastitis: Evidence of tertiary lymphoid structures
Get PDFBuffalo mastitis is an important economic problem in southern Italy, causing qualitative/quantitative alterations in milk and resulting in economic losses due to the sub-clinical course and chronic evolution. We investigated 50 udders of slaughtered buffaloes and subjected them to effectual microbiological screening to evaluate macro and microscopic mammary gland changes, immune-characterize the cell infiltrates, and compare the degree of tissue inflammation with somatic cell counts. Numerous Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from all samples, majority of which were environmental mastitis pathogens. Histological features referable to chronic mastitis were observed in 92% udders. Lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages were found to evolve into aggregates in 48% udders, which often organized to form tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). A predominance of interstitial CD8+ over CD4+ lymphocytes and, in TLSs, scattered CD8+ lymphocytes in the mantle cells and CD79+ lymphocytes in germinal centers, were evidenced. Environmental pathogens are known to persist and cause chronic inflammatory changes in buffaloes, where CD8+ lymphocytes play an important role by controlling the local immune response. Moreover, the TLSs evidenced here for the first time in buffalo mastitis, could play a role in maintaining immune responses against persistent antigens, thereby contributing in determining the chronic course of mastitis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe 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
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