Impact analysis of a regional scientific journal (1980-2000): supporting promising local researchers pays the greatest dividends

During the past 28 years, the journal "Collegium Antropologicum" has continuously served as one of the main disseminators of anthropological scientific production in Central and Eastern Europe. The journal was committed to its role of a multidisciplinary platform for presenting wide range of research topics relevant to anthropology, from investigations within social and cultural anthropology and archaeology to those covering contemporary population genetics, human evolution and biomedical issues. Two key strategies aimed at sustaining and increasing the impact of this journal were oriented towards: (i) identification of promising local groups of researchers who were at disadvantage by many aspects (e.g. educational curricula, financial supports, language barriers etc.) when trying to publish their research internationally, and (ii) invitation and encouragement of already established international scientists to make contributions for "Collegium Antropologicum". From 1980-2000, 89 articles (or 6.3% of all published papers during that period) were cited 6 or more times, contributing disproportionately to journal's impact (nearly a third of all citations received). In an attempt to identify such papers more readily among the submissions to the journal in the future, we analyzed research topics and affiliations of the authors among the 89 papers receiving most citations in comparison to all papers published. Among the papers most frequently cited, we found greater-than-expected prevalence of Croatian researchers (especially when publishing in collaboration with international scientists) and studies of special populations. Several papers received more than 25 citations or had overall citation intensity greater than 2 per year. This implies that an interesting article from a local group of researchers can still resonate with international audience although published in a regional journal. Present analysis supports current editorial strategy that with a help of the international consulting editorial board continuously improves international recognition of this journal. The results imply that a balanced encouragement to promising local groups of researchers and to contributions of already established international scientists is a strategy superior to others in maintaining and increasing the impact of this regional journal.     

Contribution of case reports to brain metastases research: systematic review and analysis of pattern of citation

Research activity related to different aspects of prevention, prediction, diagnosis and treatment of brain metastases has increased during recent years. One of the major databases (Scopus) contains 942 scientific articles that were published during the 5-year time period 2006–2010. Of these, 195 (21%) reported on single patient cases and 12 (1%) were reports of 2 cases. Little is known about their influence on advancement of the field or scientific merits. Do brain metastases case reports attract attention and provide stimuli for further research or do they go largely unrecognized? Different measures of impact, visibility and quality of published research are available, each with its own pros and cons. For the present evaluation, article citation rate was chosen. The median number of citations overall and stratified by year of publication was 0, except for the year 2006 when it was 2. As compared to other articles, case reports remained more often without citation (p<0.05 except for 2006 data). All case reports with 10 or more citations (n = 6) reported on newly introduced anticancer drugs, which commonly are prescribed to treat extracranial metastases, and the responses observed in single patients with brain metastases. Average annual numbers of citations were also calculated. The articles with most citations per year were the same six case reports mentioned above (the only ones that obtained more than 2.0 citations per year). Citations appeared to gradually increase during the first two years after publication but remained on a generally low or modest level. It cannot be excluded that case reports without citation provide interesting information to some clinicians or researchers. Apparently, case reports describing unexpected therapeutic success gain more attention, at least in terms of citation, than others.     

Research trends in the journal Hormones and Behavior (1987-2000)

As a continuation of the study carried out by Svare more than 15 years ago (Horm. Behav. 22 (1988), 139) and to determine the tendencies of the evolution of behavioral endocrinology since then, our aim was to extend his work until 2000, assuming that the journal Hormones and Behavior would be representative of the field at large. To study this 14-year period and compare it with Svare's data, we kept the same criteria and categories, behavioral patterns, and species. Our results show that "sexual behavior" in "rodents" is still the most extensive field studied by behavioral endocrinologists, although frequency of other topics is increasing, above all "aggressive and emotional responses," and especially the interrelationships between them. Interestingly, studies dedicated to humans are slowly becoming more common. In addition to these analyses, we obtained the several citations received by a randomly selected sample of articles during the period that was divided by the number of years when the articles can be potentially cited. These ratios revealed that research on "humans," within the category of species, and on "memory, learning, and conditioning" and "aggressive and emotional responses," within the behavioral categories, present the highest visibility in the literature. Furthermore, this analysis was complemented with information about the main receptor journals of the papers published in Hormones and Behavior, classified by the same categories. All these data, although limited by the analysis of only one journal, permitted us to reflect on whether the evolution tendencies formulated by Beach (Horm. Behav. 15 (1981), 325) for this discipline were applicable to the period studied, thus confirming its status as a mature discipline for the last quarter of the 20th century.     

Advances in sedimentation velocity analysis.

On February 20, 1996, a workshop titled "Advances in Sedimentation Velocity Analysis" was held at the Biophysical Society meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, in honor of Professor David Yphantis's 65th birthday. Although he is known more for his work with sedimentation equilibrium, David's work on instrumentation and data analysis is the foundation for many of the recent advances in both equilibrium and velocity sedimentation. Over the years he has trained numerous graduate students, most of whom have gone on to emphasize the use of analytical ultracentrifugation to answer biochemical questions involving macromolecular assembly. His laboratory was one of very few that continued to use and develop analytical ultracentrifugation during its nadir in the 1970s and early 1980s. The rebirth and resurgence of analytical ultracentrifugation owe a great deal to his persistence and enthusiasm. These efforts have borne fruit. In the last five years, through his work at the National Analytical Ultracentrifugation Facility, he has helped train nearly 100 individuals in the delicate art of nonlinear least-squares analysis of equilibrium sedimentation data. Furthermore, the number of researchers using the ultracentrifuge and the number of papers published has skyrocketed in the last few years. This workshop, then, was a way to thank David for his years of devotion to analytical ultracentrifugation.     

The emergence of biomedical anthropology and its implications for the future

Primarily during the past 15 years a distinct new area within physical anthropology has emerged, biomedical anthropology. Physical anthropologists have become heavily involved in studying problems of relevance to the health and illness patterns of living humans. There has been a proportionate increase in biomedically focused papers published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, in biomedically focused papers presented at annual meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and in physical anthropology doctoral dissertations oriented toward modern biomedical phenomena. Proportionately more physical anthropologists are now employed in medical schools and there has been recent growth in the proportion of physical anthropologists in anthropology departments who claim some aspect of biomedical anthropology as a research interest. Increasingly, physical anthropologists are focusing their research on cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in America. These distinct trends are partially a result of the nature of physical anthropology and its unique biocultural perspective. However the growth of applied anthropology, the present academic marketplace, and the availability of research funds are probably also contributing factors. The emergency of biomedical anthropology holds promise for the future of physical anthropology and for its current employment crisis. Careers with academic and nonacademic organizations engaged in biomedical research appear to be a viable alternative to careers in departments of anthropology, for biomedical anthropologists. This will entail some reorientation of graduate training for physical anthropologists. More emphasis will have to be placed on substantive biomedical subjects, research methods, and data management and analysis.     

Skeletal biological distance studies in American physical anthropology: recent trends

Biological distance analysis, the dominant type of skeletal biological research during the 19th century, has become less visible in recent years. Although the proportion of American Journal of Physical Anthropology articles and published abstracts focusing on biodistance has remained fairly constant over the three decades between 1955 and 1985, the proportion of biodistance contributions relative to other skeletal biology studies has decreased. Emphasis in skeletal biology has shifted from the analysis of biological variation to investigations of health and diet, and within biodistance studies methodological issues have assumed prominence over purely analytical approaches. This paper investigates trends in biological distance analysis through a survey of articles and meetings abstracts published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology from 1955 to 1985. The survey provides the historical context for five symposium papers on skeletal biological distance presented at the 1986 meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.     

Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology in the American Anthropologist Rare but Exquisite Gems

This article explores forensic anthropological and bioarchaeological publishing patterns in the American Anthropologist (n.s.). Early contributions by Harris Hawthorne Wilder on both subjects are considered in detail, including previously unrecognized discussions of taphonomic variables. Articles on forensic anthropology in the American Anthropologist appear only during the first four decades of publication. While relatively well represented in early issues, bioarchaeological articles decrease in number over time. Comparative data from six other journals suggest that their presence has had a profound effect on the American Anthropologist . The impact of the "new" physical anthropology on publishing patterns in bioarchaeology is also assessed. [Keywords: forensic anthropology, funerary archaeology, paleodemography, paleopathology, taphonomy]     

酶工程专刊序言

酶工程是酶学与工程科学融合的综合性科学技术,是现代生物技术的支柱之一。近年来我国在酶工程研究方面取得了较大进步,为促进国内酶工程研究的发展,本期"酶工程专刊"集中展现了我国酶工程专家学者在酶促生物转化、医药用酶、饲料用酶、环境修复用酶和生物能源用酶等领域所取得的最新进展。     

Scientific publications on primary biliary cirrhosis from 2000 through 2010: an 11-year survey of the literature

Background

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease characterized by intrahepatic bile-duct destruction, cholestasis, and fibrosis. It can lead to cirrhosis and eventually liver failure. PBC also shows some regional differences with respect to incidence and prevalence that are becoming more pronounced each year. Recently, researchers have paid more attention to PBC. To evaluate the development of PBC research during the past 11 years, we determined the quantity and quality of articles on this subject. We also compared the contributions of scientists from the US, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, and China.

Methods

The English-language papers covering PBC published in journals from 2000 through 2010 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the number of papers published each year, analyzed the publication type, and calculated the accumulated, average impact factors (IFs) and citations from every country. The quantity and quality of articles on PBC were compared by country. We also contrasted the level of PBC research in China and other countries.

Results

The total number of articles did not significantly increase during the past 11 years. The number of articles from the US exceeded those from any other country; the publications from the US also had the highest IFs and the most citations. Four other countries showed complex trends with respect to the quantity and quality of articles about PBC.

Conclusion

The researchers from the US have contributed the most to the development of PBC research. They currently represent the highest level of research. Some high-level studies, such as RCTs, meta-analyses, and in-depth basic studies should be launched. The gap between China and the advanced level is still enormous. Chinese investigators still have a long way to go.     

基于Web of Science的合成生物学文献计量分析

合成生物学是一个新兴的交叉学科,近年来得到了广泛关注。本文以1992-2012年期间Web of Science数据库收录的5012篇与合成生物学相关的论文为研究对象,进行年代分布、地域分布、机构分布、研究热点等方面的计量分析,以探究合成生物领域的研究实力分布、研究热点与发展动态。通过文献计量分析发现合成生物学领域近十年来发展迅猛,美国等发达国家占据主动。我国在该领域的论文产出数量可观,但学术影响力有待提高。研究的热点主要集中在基因调控网络构建、基因基因组合成、功能回路设计等方面。     

中国城市鸟类学研究进展

我国的城市鸟类学起步于20世纪80年代,随着城市化过程的加速,城市鸟类学也有了较快发展。为了全面系统地了解中国城市鸟类学研究的历史、现状与发展趋势,在中国期刊全文数据库中以"城市"和"鸟类"为主题词检索了1950—2015年间发表的文章,筛选获得128篇文章,并对检索结果进行综述。结果显示,城市鸟类学发表文章数量自20世纪80年代起逐渐增加,由1981—1990的年均0.7篇跃升至2011—2015年的年均11.6篇。研究地涉及全国29个省级行政区的57个城市。研究的主要议题包括:城市鸟类的群落结构和分布、影响城市鸟类的主要环境因素和城市鸟类的保护实践。综述发现,不同城市环带位置,城市中不同生境组合会影响城市的鸟类群落结构;不同尺度上的环境因素会对鸟类的分布、繁殖、觅食和生理情况产生多种影响,而城市化是影响这些环境因素的主要驱动力;鸟类栖息地规划以保护城市中自然栖息地,增加其景观连通性促进鸟类保护,鸟类招引技术主要通过补充巢资源和食物资源促进鸟类保护。然而,由于资源限制,有关城市鸟类的长期研究相对较少。并且,已有研究中城市鸟类的生态系统服务也鲜有涉及。为此,对我国城市鸟类学的发展提出了三点展望,城市鸟类学研究应加强城市绿地鸟类招引措施的生态影响研究,进一步发掘城市鸟类的自然体验与环境教育价值,并促进民间爱好者参与长期系统性城市鸟类学调查。     

Resituating the Place of Educational Discourse in Anthropology

This critical essay examines the place of educational discourse in contemporary anthropology. I address the growing influence of "cultural studies" frameworks in anthropology—especially in research on popular culture, media, and identity—and the corresponding neglect of specifically educational discourses and practices, in and out of schools. To illustrate, I briefly examine recent research by four noted cultural anthropologists who mention the effects of schools at their field sites but pay insufficient attention to complex educational discourses and practices. Then I address the reasons why most contemporary anthropologists outside the subfield of "anthropology of education" ignore or downplay the role of modern schools in structuring identities and power relations, both locally and globally. I end with a programmatic synthesis: to recognize and account for the continuing power of schools in most contemporary ethnographic sites, even as we broaden our vision of "education" and extend our analytic tools well beyond schools. This resituating of educational discourse in anthropology might accomplish two important things. First, it could arrest the trend toward subfield specialization and provide a more unifying research program. Second, it would promote anthropology's renewed engagement with some of the most pressing problems of democracy and public policy, fostering an organic link between our multiple roles as teachers, researchers, and institutional actors, [education, identity, cultural studies, ethnographyJ     

The State of Biological Anthropology in 2008: Is Our Discipline Strong and Our Cause Just?

ABSTRACT   Biological anthropologists inform a largely professional discourse on the evolutionary history of our species. In addition, aspects of our biology, the ways in which we vary, and certain patterns of behavior are the subjects of a more public and popular conversation. The social contexts in which we work not only define our times but also produce the anthropologists that in turn construct an emergent understanding of our species' (and our societies') inner workings. In this review of scholarly production, I focus on developments within a selection of "sub-subdisciplines" that were particularly influential in bending the arc of biological anthropology in 2008, namely: evolutionary medical anthropology, anthropological neuroscience, forensic anthropology, primatology, and paleoanthropology. Ultimately, this review demonstrates, yet again, anthropology's great contribution: the ability to incorporate new technologies and research methodologies into a synthetic and integrative interdisciplinary approach toward the elucidation of human behavior, evolution, and biocultural engagements with the environment. [Keywords: biological anthropology, year in review, 2008, science and society]     

Species Distribution Models and Impact Factor Growth in Environmental Journals: Methodological Fashion or the Attraction of Global Change Science

In this work, I evaluate the impact of species distribution models (SDMs) on the current status of environmental and ecological journals by asking the question to which degree development of SDMs in the literature is related to recent changes in the impact factors of ecological journals. The hypothesis evaluated states that research fronts are likely to attract research attention and potentially drive citation patterns, with journals concentrating papers related to the research front receiving more attention and benefiting from faster increases in their impact on the ecological literature. My results indicate a positive relationship between the number of SDM related articles published in a journal and its impact factor (IF) growth during the period 2000–09. However, the percentage of SDM related papers in a journal was strongly and positively associated with the percentage of papers on climate change and statistical issues. The results support the hypothesis that global change science has been critical in the development of SDMs and that interest in climate change research in particular, rather than the usage of SDM per se, appears as an important factor behind journal IF increases in ecology and environmental sciences. Finally, our results on SDM application in global change science support the view that scientific interest rather than methodological fashion appears to be the major driver of research attraction in the scientific literature.     

Race, Ethnicity, and Racism in Medical Anthropology, 1977–2002

Researchers across the health sciences are engaged in a vigorous debate over the role that the concepts of "race" and "ethnicity" play in health research and clinical practice. Here we contribute to that debate by examining how the concepts of race, ethnicity, and racism are used in medical–anthropological research. We present a content analysis of Medical Anthropology and Medical Anthropology Quarterly , based on a systematic random sample of empirical research articles ( n = 283) published in these journals from 1977 to 2002. We identify both differences and similarities in the use of race, ethnicity, and racism concepts in medical anthropology and neighboring disciplines, and we offer recommendations for ways that medical anthropologists can contribute to the broader debate over racial and ethnic inequalities in health.