ABSTRACTS OF IN VARIOUS ABSTRACTING SERVICES

V G Bhat

SIET Institute Hyderabad

·.('hepracticability of accepting the &,uthor synopses' So f a r as the is concerned, for publication in abstracting services is discussed there is hardly any difference noticed. In the selecting a few examples from leading abstracting case of the Chemical Abstracts most efficient services. In the field of biochemistry hardly any editing is observed. Of course CA wants difference is found between the author abstracts and the abstracts published in the various abstracting slanted ab st r ac t s , This being biochemistry services. d isc ipl ine , hardly any diffe rence was observed between author abstracts and those of CA. Other services have published author ab st r-act s Research and development in aU areas of with very little change. Russian abstracts in and technology to-day are tending more Refe r at lvn ii Zh.ur na l are all translated from and more to cut across traditional disciplinary author abstracts. boundaries. As a result almost aU progress reports published in scientific and engineering EXAMPLE ] periodicals contain new information of potential use to practitioners in various disciplines, and Indian Science Abstracts th •.•secondary information services of each of the principal- disciplines are abstracting and MULLAKHANBHAl M.F., BHAT J. V. indexing more and more reports from other (llS, Bangalore-12): Vitamins and nitrogen disciplines. A study has been carried out with requirements of Arthrobacter species. J a view to identify the degree of duplication, to Indian Inst. sei 1966, 48(4), l4~-56. Fiftytwo dete r mi ne the amount and kind of ove rlap in strains of Arthrobacter picked from a collec- document analys is and to pinpoint the diffe- tion of 170 str ai n s isolated from glycine rences' if any, in the fo r m, format and content enrichments inoculated with soil, sewage and of bibliographic descriptions and abstracts or activated sludge were found to be exacting to othe r forms of document condens ations pub- vitamins or aminoacids. According to their lished by various abstracting services. As a re qu ir e rne nt s they could be divided into 5 sub': first part of the study, abstracts in the field of grp. The I sub group demanded thiamine alone, biochemistry were considered. Only Indian the II thiamine and pantothenate, the III periodicals were examined. Journals belonging thiamine, pantothenate and glutamic ac id, the strictly to biochemistry discipline are only 3. IV thiamine, pantothenate and glutamic acid In journals belonging to gene ral , or sulphur containing amino acids as N source. microbiology, chemistry and other subjects The V sub-group comprised those which de- also, some articles of biochemistry discipline manded organic form of N, glutamic acid ser- are found. Such articles where author ving the purpose rrio af effectively. Biotin was abstracts are given, were selected. One short found stimulatory but not essential for the II communication article without the author's and III sub-groups. Some of the strains in sub- abstract Was also analysed. In almost aU group II exhibited an interesting cycle of standard periodicals, author abstracts are morphogenesis in media with and without biotin. given. Short communications concerning to biochemistry were found very rare in Indi.an Chemical Abstracts periodicals. The difference in form, format and bibliographic descriptions will be clear Vitamins and nitrogen requirements of from the examples mentioned below. These Arthrobacter. M. F. Mullakhanbhai and differences were discussed by S. Dutta and J. V. Bhat (US, Bangalore, India) J Indian Inst. P. N. Neogi earlier [2]. Sci. 48(4), 142-56 (966) (Eng). The vi tarnin

Vol 20 No 1-4 Mar-Dec 1973 105 BHAT

and N requirements were detd. for 52 strains this rno di Hc at io n and using 4 successive pptn., of Arthrobacter picked from a collection of the clottability of fibrinogen obtd , was raised 170 strains isolated from glycine-enrichments from 65 to 91 %. inoculated with soil, sewage, and activated sludge. According to their requirements, the Chemical Abstracts 52 strains were divisible into 5 groups: group I required thiamine alone; group 2 [Same abstract as above] required thiamine and panthothenate; group 3 required thiamine, pyridoxine, and glutamic Biological Abstracts acid; group 4 required thiamine, pantothemate, glutamic and or S - contg. amino acids ; and [Same abstract as above] group 5 required mostly glutamic ac id , Biotin was stimulatory but not e s s e nt iar for groups 2 Inte rnational Pharmaceutical Abstracts and 3, sorne of the strains in group 2 exhibited an interesting cycle of morphogenesis in rne dia PURIFICATION OF HUMAN FIBRINOGEN BY with and without biotin. The possible role of A MODIFIED COHN'S PROCEDURE. biotin in the no rrna I life cycle 01 Aithrobacter was discussed. Singh, G. (Department of Pathology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and ~e- Biological Abstracts search, Chandigarh, India). Indian J exp BioI 1967, 5(3), 184. Mull akha nbha i, M. F. and J. V. Bhat [F'e r me nt , Technol. Lab., Indian Inst. Sci., Author abstracts as in 1. S. A. is taken Bangalore, India) Vitamins and nitrogen re- by Referativnii Zhurnal quirements of Arthrobacter species. J INDIAN INST SCI 48(4): 142-156. 1966. Fiftytwo ... Russian translation of the author abstract without biotin •.• (Author abstract is taken as is taken. it is. The abstract is same as in I. S. A. See above). . EXAMPLE 3

Excerpta Medica Indian Science Abstracts

VIT AMINS AND NITROGEN REQUIRF- GEORGE CHERiAN M, RADHAKRISHNAN A N MENTS OF ARTHROBACTER SPECIES. - (Wellcotne Res. Unit., Christ Med. ColI., Mullakhanbhai M F and Bhat J V (Fertnental. Vellore) Isolation and characterization of a new Techn. Lab., Indian Inst. of Sci., Bangalore, glycopeptide containing hydroxy proline from India) J. INDIAN INST SCI 1966, 48/4, 142-56. human urine, Indian J Biochetn 1966, 3 (2), (Author abstract is taken as it is). 101-5.

Referativnii Zhurnal A new low rno l , wt. glycopeptide con- taining hydroxy proline has been isolated Irorn Here also Russian translation of the hurrian urine by chromatographic techniques. author abstract is taken. It contains galactosamine, uronic acid, an- throne positive m ate r-la.l s and sialic acid in EXAMPLE 2 the sugar moiety. The amino acid cotnposition of the peptide mo iety is s imi l a r to that of Indian Science Abstracts collagen except for the presence of sarcosine. These results suggest that the glycopeptide is GUR BACHAN SINGH (Path. Dep., derived from a protein carbohydrate complex Dayanand Meei. ColI., Lud hi aria}: Purification containing collagen, Srrrafl qua nt , of the gly- of human fibrinogen by a tnodiIied Cohn's pro- copeptide are excreted in normal human urine cedure. lndianJexp. Bioi 1967, 5(3), 184. and its exc r et io n is s ignificantl y enhanced [sc] under certain pathological conditions. P're Hmf - nary results indicate a rapid incorporation of Cohn's rne thod of purification of fibrino- H3 - proline into the hydroxyproline of the gen Was modified by increasing the amt. of ab s , glycopeptide in the hurna n, 34 ref. alcohol added to fibrinogen from. 2 to 7 "f e , With

106 Ann Lib Sci Doc ABSTRACTS OF BIOCHEMISTRY

Chemical Abstracts Excerpta Medica

Using chromatographic techniques, a new SUITABILITY OF ARTHROBACTER glycopeptide (l) contg. hydroxyproline was SPECIES FOR THE ASSAYOF GLUTAMATE isolated from human urine. (l) had a low mol. AND CERTAIN VITAMINS -- Mul lakhanbha i wt. and its sugar moiety contained g alacto sa- M F, Bhat J V (Fermentat. Techn. Lab., rrrine, urine acid; sialic acid and anth rone=po s, Indian Inst. Sci, Bangalore) 1966, 35/19 (237). rriate r ials , The peptide moiety of I was sirnf- lar in its amino acid compn. to that of collagen, Arthrobacter species can be very easi- and in addn., had sarcosine, suggesting that I ly maintained in the laboratory, and are very m'ght be derived from a protein-carbohydrate suitable for the determination of B vitamins. complex contg. collagen. Normal human urine :lad small amts. of I, while the excretion was Annotations increased in some pathol conditions. Labeled proline was incorporated readily into the In example 1, Indian Science Abstracts, hydroxy proline group of I. B. S. S. R. Rao. Biological Abstracts, Excerpta Medica and Referativnii Zhurnal have taken the author Biological Abstracts and Excerpta Medica abstract as it is. In Chemical Abstracts, the abstract has been prepared by a panel member. Biological Abstracts and Excerpta But hardly any difference is noticed between' Medica have taken the author abstract as it is. the two abstracts. All the points in both the abstracts are same - no omission or addition. All the above three examples were Some change in wordings can hp. noticed. taken from standard Indian journals - the Journal of the Indian Institute of Science, In example 2, in addition to the above Indian Journal of Expe rimental Biology and fiye abstracting journals, International phar- the Indian Journal of Biochemistry. maceutical Abstracts was also examined. In all the cases the author abstract is taken as it is.

EXAMPLE 4 In example 3 also, it can be noticed The fourth example is taken f r orn that except in Chemical Abstracts, the author Current Science. A short cornrnunication abstract is taken as it is. The difference bet- article where abstracts was not given, was ween the author abstract and the abstract in chose. the Chemical Abstract is also negligible. Some wordings and word order have only been chang- Indian Science Abstracts ed.

MULLAKHANBHAIM F, BHAT J V Thus most of the abstracts noticed [F'e r-rrrent Tech. Lab., IIS), Bangalore-12): were found to be same. As an exception, the Suitability of Arthrobacter species for the fourth example can be considered. In I. S. A. assay of glutamate and certain vitamins. Curr more details than in Excerpta Medica are ScL 1966, 35(9), 237 (sc). given. This may be because author abstract was not given for this article.

Arthrobacter grp. of organisms has In Chemical Abstracts, an acceptable been found to contain a number of bacteria series of sy mbols and abbreviations are used showing a definite requirement for one or to represent conventional biochemical termi- more growth factors e. g. thiamine, pY,rido- nology, to facilitate reporting lengthy, unwieldy, xine, glutamate etc. The case with which complex biochemical, names in short, s im- these organisms can be cultured and maintain- pie, unambiguous terms e. g., Glycine - Gly, ed in the laboratory (on nutrient agar) and the Adrenocorticotropin - ACTH. etc; , Use of absolute demand they make for a specific these syrnbol s and abbreviations will not only growth factor render them suitable for the save the abstractor's time, but will save time detection of such factors in biological mate- for readers in assimilating the information rials. (K C Agarawal). conveyed to them in precise, urrder atan dab'le bioc hemical language.

Vol 20 No 1-4 Mar-Dee 1973 107 BRAT

A recent decision of the Chemical author synopsis only, who is a better judge of Abstracts Service is, "CA is striving to his work, all abstracting services can accept present uniform findings - oriented abstracts, most of them with little technical modification concisely written, with as much detail as by the editor. Only in few cases slanting may be required to a specific 'm1>c;,plineto which needed to understand the author t s rrrain pur- pose. CA intends to eliminate experimental the abstracting service is devoted. If these detail which only repeats or enlarges on the points are followed by the authors, publishers research, and which is better obtained from and abstracting units, it will be helpful in the original document. CA will continue to quick service and economy in effort and money. provide ac ce s s to the primary literature; it The brief and less detailed abstracts should in does not replace that literature!' This view is no way affect the depth and completeness of common with all abstracting services. The indexing. Exhaustive and multiple indexes first sentence should be a concise, informative are the most essential for any abstracting summation ofthe most important findings or service. conclusions of the study. This might be likened to the lead sentence of a well written newspaper I am thankful to Shri S. Dutta, Director, article, which attempts to tell the readers SENDOC, for his valuable guidance and enough about what happened so as to allow him encouragement. to decide whether he should be interested in readingthe rest of the a.r ttc le s. The remaining References text of th•• abstract will contain a summary of the rnaj or experiments, findings and methodo- [1] Directions for Abstractors, Chemical logy, >'Lt only enough detail will be given to Abatr act s Service-1969. support the principal results and conclusions. [ 2] Dutta S, Neogi PN: Pre seatatton of bibliographical information and arrange- Conclusion ment of abstracts in abstracting services -- a comparative study. (Paper present- oi-:t the basis of the above points, it may ed to the 7th IASLIC Conference held in be said that if abstracts are got prepared from Delhi, Dec.1967).

108 Ann Lib Sci Doc