The impact of a scientific article is often described in terms of how many times the article has been cited in other, subsequently published articles. But because the publication process is time-consuming, meaningful citation statistics are often not available for 1 to 2 years after the original article is published, making it impossible to gauge how much scientific interest the article is attracting in anything close to real-time.

Now, there is a new and much more immediate way to measure an article’s impact: using “alternative metrics” that show how many times an article has been mentioned in various media. For example, Altmetric, a web-based service that provides alternative metrics data, tracks mentions of an article by news outlets and in blogs, Facebook posts, and tweets, among other media. Altmetric also notes how many readers have accessed the article through the reference-management tool Mendeley, as well as how many scholarly articles have cited it. All of these data are summarized in what Altmetric calls an “Attention Score.”

According to Altmetric’s data, in 2021, the most popular article published by investigators at the Texas Heart Institute was “Gene therapy knockdown of Hippo signaling induces cardiomyocyte renewal in pigs after myocardial infarction,” by Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr. Shijie Liu and colleagues in the Cardiomyocyte Renewal Laboratory, under the leadership of Dr. James Martin. The article, published in Science Translational Medicine, earned an Altmetric Attention Score of 543, putting it in the top 5% of all articles (in any discipline) scored by Altmetric. The statistics used to compute this score include 19 mentions of the article in various news outlets, 744 tweets, 3 blog posts, and 3 Facebook posts.

Other popular articles recently published by THI authors include “Use of a small molecule integrin activator as a systemically administered vaccine adjuvant in controlling Chagas disease” from the Department of Molecular Cardiology; “Exome-wide evaluation of rare coding variants using electronic health records identifies new gene–phenotype associations,” published in Nature Medicine by THI surgeons Drs. Ying H. Shen and Scott A. LeMaire in cooperation with a nationwide group of investigators; and “An initial ex vivo evaluation of temperature profile and thermal injury formation on the epiesophageal surface during radiofrequency ablation” by Dr. Allison Post and colleagues, working with Dr. Mehdi Razavi in the Department of Electrophysiology Clinical Research and Innovations.

 

Gene therapy knockdown of Hippo signaling induces cardiomyocyte renewal in pigs after myocardial infarction
Liu S, Li K, Wagner Florencio L, Heallen TR, Wang Y, Willerson JT, Perin EC, Zhang S, Martin JF
Sci Transl Med (Score of 543!)

Use of a small molecule integrin activator as a systemically administered vaccine adjuvant in controlling Chagas disease
Biediger RJ, Market RV, Khounlo S, Warier ND, Woodside DG, Vanderslice P
NPJ Vaccines

Exome-wide evaluation of rare coding variants using electronic health records identifies new gene-phenotype associations
Li Y, Zhang C, Shen YH
Nat Med

Magnetic resonance imaging to detect cardiovascular effects of cancer therapy: JACC CardioOncology state-of-the-art review
Plana JC
JACC CardioOncol

Yap promotes noncanonical Wnt signals from cardiomyocytes for heart regeneration
Liu S, Heallen TR, Martin JF
Circ Res

An initial ex vivo evaluation of temperature profile and thermal injury formation on the epiesophageal surface during radiofrequency ablation
Post A, John M, Rook A, Razavi M
J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol

A phase II study of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells and c-kit positive cardiac cells, alone or in combination, in patients with ischemic heart failure: The CCTRN CONCERT-HF Trial
Perin EC, Willerson JT,  Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN).
Eur J Heart Fail

Assessing competence in critical care echocardiography: Development and initial results of an examination and certification processes
Diaz-Gomez J
Crit Care Med

Gender representation among principal investigators in cardiac surgery clinical trials in the United States: The glass ceiling and room for improvement
Preventza O
Ann Surg

Interim analysis of the phase II study: Noninferiority study of doxorubicin with upfront dexrazoxane plus olaratumab for advanced or metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma
Heberton GA
Clin Cancer Res

Allogeneic mesenchymal cell therapy in anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy heart failure patients: The CCTRN SENECA Trial
Perin EC, Willerson JT,  Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN).
JACC CardioOncol

Managing ischemic heart disease in women: Role of a women’s heart center
Costello BT
Curr Atheroscler Rep

Propensity score analysis in patients with and without previous isolated coronary artery bypass grafting who require proximal aortic and arch surgery
Preventza O, Chatterjee S, LeMaire SA, Coselli JS
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks during COVID-19 outbreak
Safavi-Naeni P
J Am Heart Assoc

Immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis: Elucidating the spectrum of disease through endomyocardial biopsy
Segura A
Eur J Heart Fail

Adiponectin forms a complex with atherogenic LDL and inhibits its downstream effects
Chen C-H
J Lipid Res

Intravenous magnesium in the management of rapid atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Allencherril J
J Cardiol

Distinct human Langerhans cell subsets orchestrate reciprocal functions and require different developmental regulation
Xiao Li
Immunity

A 23-year experience with the reversed elephant trunk technique for staged repair of extensive thoracic aortic aneurysm
Coselli JS, Preventza O, LeMaire SA
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Ciprofloxacin accelerates aortic enlargement and promotes dissection and rupture in Marfan mice
LeMaire SA, Coselli JS
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Editorial comment: Fluoroquinolones in patients with aortic aneurysms or dissections: Pouring gasoline on a fire
LeMaire SA
J Am Coll Cardiol

Exception-status listing: A critical pathway to heart transplantation for adults With congenital heart diseases
Rogers J
J Card Fail

Long-term outcomes comparing medical therapy versus revascularization for spontaneous coronary artery dissection: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Fogg SE
Am J Med

Sex differences in ascending aortic and arch surgery: A propensity-matched comparison of 1153 pairs
Preventza O, Cekmecelioglu D, Chatterjee S, LeMaire SA, Coselli JS
Ann Thorac Surg

Management of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock
Diaz-Gomez JL
Anesthesiology

Commentary: 3-D printing: Taming the aorta
Coselli JS, Hong JC
Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

Leveraging multimedia patient engagement to address minority cerebrovascular health needs: Prospective observational study
Center for Women’s Heart & Vascular Health
J Med Internet Res

Early gastrointestinal complications after open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair
Preventza O, LeMaire SA, Coselli JS
Ann Thorac Surg

Suppressing Hippo signaling in the stem cell niche promotes skeletal muscle regeneration
Liu Q, Pan S, Liu S, Willerson JT, Martin JF, Dixon RAF
Stem Cells

Ultrasound Corner: Refractory hypoxia despite extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Point-of-care ultrasound is needed for patients with COVID-19
George J
Chest

Cardiac surgeons’ concerns, perceptions, and responses during the COVID-19 pandemic
Preventza O
J Card Surg

 

By Steve Palmer

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About The Texas Heart Institute (THI)

Texas Heart Institute (THI), founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering the future of cardiovascular health through exceptional patient care, discovery, and a commitment to learning. Participating in research programs in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, stem cell and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine, THI’s scientists and physicians are spearheading some of the most innovative research in the medical field. Through its translational basic and clinical research programs, Texas Heart Institute is learning more every day about the underlying causes of heart disease and the ways to better treat and even prevent it. With initiatives ranging from postdoctoral and continued medical education to public outreach and scientific publications, THI is dedicated to spreading awareness and sharing updates on ways to prevent, treat and defeat cardiovascular disease. With over 12 million visitors coming to its website from around the world every year, www.texasheart.org is just one of the ways THI is helping to educate people on the importance of heart health.