Usage Count： A New Indicator to Detect Research Fronts

Purpose： Research fronts build on recent work, but using times cited as a traditional indicator to detect research fronts will inevitably result in a certain time lag. This study attempts to explore the effects of usage count as a new indicator to detect research fronts in shortening the time lag of classic indicators in research fronts detection. Design/methodology/approach： An exploratory study was conducted where the new indicator ＂usage count＂ was compared to the traditional citation count, ＂times cited,＂ in detecting research fronts of the regenerative medicine domain. An initial topic search of the term ＂regenerative medicine＂ returned 10,553 records published between 2000 and 2015 in the Web of Science （WoS）. We first ranked these records with usage count and times cited, respectively, and selected the top 2,000 records for each. We then performed a co-citation analysis in order to obtain the citing papers of the co-citation clusters as the research fronts. Finally, we compared the average publication year of the citing papers as well as the mean cited year of the co-citation clusters. Findings： The citing articles detected by usage count tend to be published more recently compared with times cited within the same research front. Moreover, research fronts detected by usage count tend to be within the last two years, which presents a higher immediacy and real-time feature compared to times cited. There is approximately a three-year time span among the mean cited years （known as ＂intellectual base＂） of all clusters generated by usage count and this figure is about four years in the network of times cited. In comparison to times cited, usage count is a dynamic and instant indicator. Research limitations： We are trying to find the cutting-edge research fronts, but those generated based on co-citations may refer to the hot research fronts. The usage count of older highly cited papers was not taken into consideration, because the usage count indicator released by WoS only reflects usage logs after February 2013. Practical implications： The article provides a new perspective on using usage count as a new indicator to detect research fronts.Originality/value： Usage count can greatly shorten the time lag in research fronts detection, which would be a promising complementary indicator in detection of the latest research fronts.

Detection of early-stage research fronts——An example of complex networks research

Purpose:This study aims to detect research fronts of a scientific field in its early development stage using bibliometric indicators developed based on the features of research fronts.Design/methodology/approach:We first focused on conceptualization of'research fronts'and outlined 4 indicators to measure different aspects of the concept:Innovation,timeliness,stability and interdisciplinarity.Then research specialties obtained based on direct citation networks were evaluated with the 4 indicators and research fronts were identified.Finally,methodology was illustrated and verified in the research domain of complex networks.Findings:The results indicate that the proposed method is useful in detecting research fronts in a specific field which is at an early development stage.Research limitations:The quality of clustering results was not assessed.It needs to be further studied whether the method can be applicable to the fields that evolve slowly such as mathematics or are highly specialized like entomology and zoology.Practical implications:This study helps researchers keep abreast of emerging trends and policy-makers formulate science and technology policies and strategic plans.Originality/value:This research provides insights into a quantitative assessment method to detect research fronts of a scientific field in its early development stage.

基于ESI Research Fronts对学科前沿的计量分析——以化学学科为例

研究前沿一直是科研人员关注的热点,文章的目的是为科研人员把握当下的学科热点和前沿,以及寻求科研合作提供参考。文章基于ESI的数据,对化学学科的研究前沿进行识别,解读了热门和新兴的研究前沿,并利用文献计量的方法,对研究前沿的相关文献年度、地区分布进行研究,以及对这些文献的合作机构进行挖掘。就化学学科而言,我国在研究前沿中占据的数量位居世界第二,并在合作网络中居于比较核心的地位。中国的大学和科研院所是科研主力军,一半以上的化学前沿由中国科学院参与完成。

A bibliometric analysis of core articles ofinternational nursing research frontiersbased on the Web of Science database

Objective:To review and analyze the basic information and distribution of core articles in the global research frontier of nursing,so as to ascertain the current trend in the field.Methods:A total of 37 highly cited essential science indicator(ESI)papers in the nursing discipline were retrieved,which were compared with the core article collection of the ESI research frontier in January 2019 to understand the current nursing research frontiers.Subsequently,a statistical analysis of the core articles that constituted the nursing research frontiers was performed using a bibliometric method.The analysis was conducted with multiple aspects including the number of core articles,total number of citations,average publication year,issuing country,participating institution,citing paper,journal distribution,and core researcher.Results:At present,the two international research frontiers of nursing are patient-centered care(Research Frontier 1)and missed care(Research Frontier 2).These two frontiers include a total of 12 core articles,6 of which are highly cited Web of Scienceindexed nursing papers.Research Frontier 1 includes three core articles that were cited 389 times.Research Frontier 2 includes nine core articles that were cited 841 times.Articles in the two frontiers were cited by 454 and 841 papers,respectively,most of which are in the United States.In addition,the 12 core articles were published across eight journals,the impact factors of which are all relatively high.Lastly,Research Frontier 1 involves 11 authors,whereas Research Frontier 2 involves 49 authors,of which seven authors have published more than two articles.Conclusions:The core articles in the frontier of international nursing research demonstrate distinctive features in their issuing country/region,journal distribution,and participating institution.Review and analysis of the core articles of international nursing research frontiers can help nursing staff understand the current research hotspots and consequently perform corresponding scientific research to promote the development of the nursing discipline.

Mapping Research Fronts of Big Data Study in 21st Century

In this paper, we aim at researching status and finding the research fronts in the field of Big Data in recent 15 years. This study applies CiteSpace software to the visualization analysis about the literature data from the year 2000 to 2014 in Web of Science, and to carry out preliminary discussion on the research hotspot and the fronts of Big Data. It concluded that Big Data have been exerting so great influence on the world that increasing researchers from different countries and institutes have continuously researched it in recent years.

Machine learning applications in healthcare clinical practice and research

Machine learning(ML)is a type of artificial intelligence that assists computers in the acquisition of knowledge through data analysis,thus creating machines that can complete tasks otherwise requiring human intelligence.Among its various applications,it has proven groundbreaking in healthcare as well,both in clinical practice and research.In this editorial,we succinctly introduce ML applications and present a study,featured in the latest issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases.The authors of this study conducted an analysis using both multiple linear regression(MLR)and ML methods to investigate the significant factors that may impact the estimated glomerular filtration rate in healthy women with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Their results implicated age as the most important determining factor in both groups,followed by lactic dehydrogenase,uric acid,forced expiratory volume in one second,and albumin.In addition,for the NAFLD-group,the 5th and 6th most important impact factors were thyroid-stimulating hormone and systolic blood pressure,as compared to plasma calcium and body fat for the NAFLD+group.However,the study's distinctive contribution lies in its adoption of ML methodologies,showcasing their superiority over traditional statistical approaches(herein MLR),thereby highlighting the potential of ML to represent an invaluable advanced adjunct tool in clinical practice and research.

Synthetic data as an investigative tool in hypertension and renal diseases research

There is a growing body of clinical research on the utility of synthetic data derivatives,an emerging research tool in medicine.In nephrology,clinicians can use machine learning and artificial intelligence as powerful aids in their clinical decision-making while also preserving patient privacy.This is especially important given the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease,renal oncology,and hypertension worldwide.However,there remains a need to create a framework for guidance regarding how to better utilize synthetic data as a practical application in this research.

Harnessing artificial intelligence for identifying conflicts of interest in research

This editorial explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence(AI)in identifying conflicts of interest(COIs)within academic and scientific research.By harnessing advanced data analysis,pattern recognition,and natural language processing techniques,AI offers innovative solutions for enhancing transparency and integrity in research.This editorial discusses how AI can automatically detect COIs,integrate data from various sources,and streamline reporting processes,thereby maintaining the credibility of scientific findings.

Research Frontiers of Agricultural Economics and Management

Introduction The focus of research on Agricultural Economics and Management (AEM) has been switching from developed countries to developing countries. In important international journals on AEM such as "American Journal of Agricultural Economics" and "Agricultural Economics", the research objectives mainly focus on AEM problems in developing countries, e.g. the effects of globalization and liberalization on agricultural production in developing countries, and problems in agricultural resources and environmental protections in developing countries. ……

Special topic on research frontier in polymer science in China

Polymer science is a multiple discipline that studies synthe- sis, structure, function and application of macromolecules. It encompasses subdisciplines of polymer chemistry, phys- ics and engineering. Despite the fact that polymeric materi- als had been known and used for quite long time,

Research Characteristics of Thermal Comfort of Urban Block Landscape Based on Knowledge Graph Analysis

The landscape environment of urban blocks plays a significant role in improving the comfort of urban thermal environment and promoting green and high-quality development.The 342 papers related to the research on the impact of urban block landscape environment on thermal comfort in China,collected by CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure)from 2002 to 2022,are used as the research object.Through bibliometric statistical analysis,LLR algorithm,and cluster analysis,the current research status of the impact of urban block landscape environment on thermal comfort in China is analyzed and processed,and its external characteristics are identified.Using the information visualization software CiteSpace,the research topics in the field of the impact of urban block landscape environment on thermal comfort are presented in the form of knowledge graphs.Through co-occurrence analysis of keywords and trend of word frequency changes,the development trends of research hotspots and cutting-edge fields of the impact of urban block landscape environment on thermal comfort are determined,hoping to provide reference for future research in this field.

Visualizing the development trend and research frontiers of biochar in 2020:a scientometric perspective

This study presents a scientometric analysis on biochar research to investigate the research status and developments as well as future trends in this field in 2020.A total of 3671 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection database in 2020,which were analyzed for categories,countries,authors,and keywords.China and USA played a leading role in the research of biochar.Yong Sik Ok and Daniel C.W.Tsang were the most prolific authors in the application of biochar in agriculture,environment,and energy.Based on the keywords clustering analysis,biochar applications in“bioenergy produc-tion”,“global climate change mitigation”,“salinity and drought stress amelioration”,“organic pollutants degradation”,“heavy metals immobilization”,and“bioremediation”were the main hotspots.Biochar for salinity and drought stress amelioration became the focus in biochar area in 2020 as biochar amendment had great potential in alleviating salt-and drought-affected soils.Organic pollutants’degradation via advanced oxidation process(AOPs)represents a sustainable growing topic.Radical and non-radical pathways were summarized for AOPs.Bioremediation using functional bacteria(e.g.,heavy metal-resistant bacteria and organic pollutant-degraders)immobilized on biochar was still a research hotspot.Immobilized cells showed excellent performance in removing various contaminants by combining the advantages of highly efficient physiochemical sorption of biochar and microbial metabolisms.The review improves our understanding on scientific advances and potential future research directions in biochar research.

The Nanjing International Symposium of New Frontiers in Cancer Research(Nov 9-10,2007)

The Nanjing International Symposium of New Frontiers in Cancer Research will be held on Nov 9-10, 2007. The purpose of this symposium is to stimulate a dialogue among basic and clinical cancer researchers between China and other countries to speed up translation of new findings in basic cancer biology into disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We hope to use this conference as a forum to create a unique opportunity for exchange in current discoveries, fostering multidisciplinary collaborations, and identification of future opportunities in cancer treatment and patient care. There will be four sessions in this symposium：

Research funding and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, 2019-2020

Purpose:The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the relation between funding(a main driver for scientific research)and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in physics,chemistry and medicine over 2019-2020 and the same relation in these research fields as a whole.Design/methodology/approach:This study utilizes a power law model to explore the relationship between research funding and citations of related papers.The study here analyzes 3,539 recorded documents by Nobel Laureates in physics,chemistry and medicine and a broader dataset of 183,016 documents related to the fields of physics,medicine,and chemistry recorded in the Web of Science database.Findings:Results reveal that in chemistry and medicine,funded researches published in papers of Nobel Laureates have higher citations than unfunded studies published in articles;vice versa high citations of Nobel Laureates in physics are for unfunded studies published in papers.Instead,when overall data of publications and citations in physics,chemistry and medicine are analyzed,all papers based on funded researches show higher citations than unfunded ones.Originality/value:Results clarify the driving role of research funding for science diffusion that are systematized in general properties:a)articles concerning funded researches receive more citations than(un)funded studies published in papers of physics,chemistry and medicine sciences,generating a high Matthew effect(a higher growth of citations with the increase in the number of papers);b)research funding increases the citations of articles in fields oriented to applied research(e.g.,chemistry and medicine)more than fields oriented towards basic research(e.g.,physics).Practical implications:The results here explain some characteristics of scientific development and diffusion,highlighting the critical role of research funding in fostering citations and the expansion of scientific knowledge.This finding can support decision-making of policymakers and R&D managers to improve the effectiveness in allocating financial resources in science policies to generate a higher positive scientific and societal impact.

General laws of funding for scientific citations:how citations change in funded and unfunded research between basic and applied sciences

Purpose:The goal of this study is to analyze the relationship between funded and unfunded papers and their citations in both basic and applied sciences.Design/methodology/approach:A power law model analyzes the relationship between research funding and citations of papers using 831,337 documents recorded in the Web of Science database.Findings:The original results reveal general characteristics of the diffusion of science in research fields:a)Funded articles receive higher citations compared to unfunded papers in journals;b)Funded articles exhibit a super-linear growth in citations,surpassing the increase seen in unfunded articles.This finding reveals a higher diffusion of scientific knowledge in funded articles.Moreover,c)funded articles in both basic and applied sciences demonstrate a similar expected change in citations,equivalent to about 1.23%,when the number of funded papers increases by 1%in journals.This result suggests,for the first time,that funding effect of scientific research is an invariant driver,irrespective of the nature of the basic or applied sciences.Originality/value:This evidence suggests empirical laws of funding for scientific citations that explain the importance of robust funding mechanisms for achieving impactful research outcomes in science and society.These findings here also highlight that funding for scientific research is a critical driving force in supporting citations and the dissemination of scientific knowledge in recorded documents in both basic and applied sciences.Practical implications:This comprehensive result provides a holistic view of the relationship between funding and citation performance in science to guide policymakers and R&D managers with science policies by directing funding to research in promoting the scientific development and higher diffusion of results for the progress of human society.

Glucocorticoids-based prodrug design:Current strategies and research progress

Attributing to their broad pharmacological effects encompassing anti-inflammation,antitoxin,and immunosuppression,glucocorticoids(GCs)are extensively utilized in the clinic for the treatment of diverse diseases such as lupus erythematosus,nephritis,arthritis,ulcerative colitis,asthma,keratitis,macular edema,and leukemia.However,longterm use often causes undesirable side effects,including metabolic disorders-induced Cushing's syndrome(buffalo back,full moon face,hyperglycemia,etc.),osteoporosis,aggravated infection,psychosis,glaucoma,and cataract.These notorious side effects seriously compromise patients'quality of life,especially in patients with chronic diseases.Therefore,glucocorticoid-based advanced drug delivery systems for reducing adverse effects have received extensive attention.Among them,prodrugs have the advantages of low investment,low risk,and high success rate,making them a promising strategy.In this review,we propose the strategies for the design and summarize current research progress of glucocorticoid-based prodrugs in recent decades,including polymer-based prodrugs,dendrimer-based prodrugs,antibody-drug conjugates,peptide-drug conjugates,carbohydrate-based prodrugs,aliphatic acid-based prodrugs and so on.Besides,we also raise issues that need to be focused on during the development of glucocorticoid-based prodrugs.This review is expected to be helpful for the research and development of novel GCs and prodrugs.

Global research trends and hotspots in overweight/obese comorbid with depression among children and adolescents: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND Overweight/obesity combined with depression among children and adolescents(ODCA)is a global concern.The bidirectional relationship between depression and overweight/obesity often leads to their comorbidity.Childhood and adolescence represent critical periods for physical and psychological development,during which the comorbidity of overweight/obesity and depression may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes.AIM To evaluate the relationship between ODCA,we conduct a bibliometric analysis to aid in formulating prevention and treatment strategies.METHODS From 2004 to 2023,articles related to ODCA were selected using the Science Citation Index Expanded from the Web of Science Core Collection.Bibliometric analysis of relevant publications,including countries/regions,institutions,authors,journals,references,and keywords,was conducted using the online bibliometric analysis platforms,CiteSpace,VOSviewer,and bibliometrix.RESULTS Between 2004 and 2023,a total of 1573 articles were published on ODCA.The United States has made leading contributions in this field,with Harvard University emerging as the leading contributor in terms of research output,and Tanofsky being the most prolific author.The J Adolescent Health has shown significant activity in this domain.Based on the results of the keyword and reference analyses,inequality,adverse childhood experiences,and comorbidities have become hot topics in ODCA.Moreover,the impact of balancedrelated behavior and exploration of the biological mechanisms,including the potential role of key adipocytokines and lipokines,as well as inflammation in ODCA,have emerged as frontier topics.CONCLUSION The trend of a significant increase in ODCA publications is expected to continue.The research findings will contribute to elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms of ODCA and its prevention and treatment.

The frontiers of nuclear cardiology research

Heart disease is the leading cause of death. Each year in the United States, more than 500,000 men and women die from coronary artery disease （CAD）. CAD results from the narrowing of blood vessels that sup- ply the heart. The blood vessels become narrow when fatty deposits build up inside the arterial wall. When the arteries become clogged, the blood flow to the myocardium is impaired and a heart attack can occur. Nuclear cardiology studies use noninvasive imaging techniques to assess myocardial blood flow.

Research Progress and Prospects of Total Factor Productivity in the Construction Industry

The high-quality development of the construction industry fundamentally stems from the significant improvement of total factor productivity.Therefore,it is of crucial significance for promoting the development of the construction industry to a higher level by scientifically and accurately measuring the total factor productivity of the construction industry and deeply analyzing the influencing factors behind it.Based on a comprehensive consideration of research methods and influencing factors,this paper systematically reviews the existing relevant literature on total factor productivity in the construction industry,aiming to reveal the current research development trend in this field and point out potential problems.This effort aims to provide a solid theoretical foundation and valuable reference for further in-depth research,and jointly promote the continuous progress and development of total factor productivity research in the construction industry.

Recent Ventures in Interdisciplinary Arctic Research:The ARCPATH Project

This paper celebrates Professor Yongqi GAO's significant achievement in the field of interdisciplinary studies within the context of his final research project Arctic Climate Predictions: Pathways to Resilient Sustainable Societies-ARCPATH(https://www.svs.is/en/projects/finished-projects/arcpath). The disciplines represented in the project are related to climatology, anthropology, marine biology, economics, and the broad spectrum of social-ecological studies. Team members were drawn from the Nordic countries, Russia, China, the United States, and Canada. The project was transdisciplinary as well as interdisciplinary as it included collaboration with local knowledge holders. ARCPATH made significant contributions to Arctic research through an improved understanding of the mechanisms that drive climate variability in the Arctic. In tandem with this research, a combination of historical investigations and social, economic, and marine biological fieldwork was carried out for the project study areas of Iceland, Greenland, Norway, and the surrounding seas, with a focus on the joint use of ocean and sea-ice data as well as social-ecological drivers. ARCPATH was able to provide an improved framework for predicting the near-term variation of Arctic climate on spatial scales relevant to society, as well as evaluating possible related changes in socioeconomic realms. In summary, through the integration of information from several different disciplines and research approaches, ARCPATH served to create new and valuable knowledge on crucial issues, thus providing new pathways to action for Arctic communities.