The baseline time span for this database is (publication years)
1999-June 30, 2009 from the third bimonthly update (a 10-year + 6-month
period). The resulting database contained 8,611 (10 years) and 13,521 (2
years) papers; 23,325 authors; 110 nations; 1,287 journals; and 5,613
institutions. See additional information below in the overview &
methodology sections.
Interviews, first-person essays, and profiles about
people in a wide variety of fields which pertain to
this special topic of H1N1 Flu.
OVERVIEW
Earlier this year, a novel strain of H1N1 influenza, originally found in
swine, was discovered in humans. Since this discovery, more than 70
countries throughout the world have reported cases of this strain of the
flu, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic. Since
this declaration, cases of novel H1N1 influenza have only increased, making
headlines worldwide. Though causing mild symptoms for the most part, this
strain of H1N1 is still a concern due to its growing incidence, as well as
the fact that other strains of H1N1 were the cause of much more serious
pandemics, such as the 1918 flu pandemic.
H1N1 Influenza
This month, ScienceWatch.com looks at the literature on H1N1
influenza over the past decade and over the past two years. The database
was constructed with a combination of title ("influenza A," "swine" AND
"influenza") and topic ("H1N1," "swine" AND "flu") keywords. To further
refine the focus for the top 20 papers over the past decade and the past
two years, the title keyword "H1N1" was used.
The prevalent research themes in the past decade include detection assays,
genetic and antigenic characteristics of the H1N1 strains, drug resistance,
immunological issues, such as cross-protection, and vaccine trials,
particularly the CAIV-T vaccination.
The themes of drug resistance and detection assays are carried over into
the two-year list. In addition, genetic analyses of animal and clinical
isolates are also prominent on the list. Other issues covered include
virulence determinants, pathogenesis, the VLP vaccine, and a human case
report involving triple reassortment infection.
Methodology: The baseline time span for
this database is (publication years) 1999-June 30, 2009 from the
third bimonthly update (a 10-year + 6-month period). The resulting
database contained 8,611 (10 years) and 13,521 (2 years) papers; 23,325
authors; 110 nations; 1,287 journals; and 5,613 institutions. See
additional information below in the overview & methodology sections.
Rankings: Once the database was in place, it was used to
generate list of authors, journals, institutions, and nations. Rankings for
author, journal, institution, and country are listed in three ways:
according to total cites, total papers, and total cites/paper*. The paper
thresholds and corresponding percentages used to determine scientist,
institution, country, and journal rankings according to total cites/paper,
and total papers respectively are as follows:
Entity
Authors
Institutions
Nations
Journals
Thresholds
16
45
7
5
Percentage:
1%
1%
50%
50%
*Unless otherwise specified, all rankings have a
5 paper threshold for all measures.