Scientific research output evaluation of professors of Sao Paulo State University, Marilia/SP

In this work, an analysis of scientific bibliographic productivity was made using the Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciencias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (FFC-UNESP) as example. It is composed by nine departments which offer altogether nine undergraduate courses: 1) Archival, 2) Library, 3) Speech Therapy, 4) Pedagogy, 5) International Relations, 6) Physiotherapy, 7) Occupational Therapy, 8) Philosophy, 9) Social Sciences and six graduate programs leading to M. S. and Ph.D. degrees. Moreover, when analyzing the different courses of FFC-UNESP, they represent typical academic organization in Brazil and Latin America and could be taken as a model for analyzing other Brazilian research institutions. Using data retrieved from the Lattes Plataform database (Curriculum Lattes) we have quantitatively the scientific productivity percentage of professors at UNESP. We observed that bibliometric evaluations using the Curriculum Lattes (CL) showed that the professors published papers in journal are not indexed by ISI and SCOPUS. This analysis was made using: 1) the total number of papers (indexed in Curriculum Lattes database), 2) the number of papers indexed by Thomson ISI Web of Science database and SCOPUS database, and 3) the Hirsch (h-index) by ISI and SCOPUS. Bibliometric evaluations of departments showed a better performance of Political Science and Economics Department when compared to others departments, in relation total number of papers (indexed in Curriculum Lattes database). We also analyzed the academic advisory (Master's Thesis and Ph. D. Thesis) by nine departments of FFC/UNESP. The Administration and School Supervision Department presented a higher academic advisory (concluded and current) when compared to the others departments.

Statistical Innovations Improve Prevalence Estimates of Nutrient Risk Populations: Applications in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake and excess sodium intake among adults age 19 years and older in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Twenty-four hour dietary recall and sociodemographic data were collected from each participant (n=1,663) in a cross-sectional study, Inquiry of Health of Sao Paulo, of a representative sample of the adult population of the city of Sao Paulo in 2003 (ISA-2003). The variability in intake was measured through two replications of the 24-hour recall in a subsample of this population in 2007 (ISA-2007). Usual intake was estimated by the PC-SIDE program (version 1.0, 2003, Department of Statistics, Iowa State University), which uses an approach developed by Iowa State University. The prevalence of nutrient inadequacy was calculated using the Estimated Average Requirement cut-point method for vitamins A and C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, copper, phosphorus, and selenium. For vitamin D, pantothenic acid, manganese, and sodium, the proportion of individuals with usual intake equal to or more than the Adequate Intake value was calculated. The percentage of individuals with intake equal to more than the Tolerable Upper Intake Level was calculated for sodium. The highest prevalence of inadequacy for males and females, respectively, occurred for vitamin A (67% and 58%), vitamin C (52% and 62%), thiamin (41% and 50%), and riboflavin (29% and 19%). The adjustment for the within-person variation presented lower prevalence of inadequacy due to removal of within-person variability. All adult residents of Sao Paulo had excess sodium intake, and the rates of nutrient inadequacy were high for certain key micronutrients. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112:1614-1618.

Levels of selected persistent organic pollutants in blood from delivering women in seven selected areas of Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Persistent organic pollutants (POPS) present in the living environment are thought to have detrimental health effects on the population, with pregnant women and the developing foetus being at highest risk. We report on the levels of selected POPs in maternal blood of 155 delivering women residing in seven regions within the Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The following selected POPs were measured in the maternal whole blood: 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners (IUPAC Nos. 99, 101, 118, 138, 153, 156, 163, 170, 180, 183, 187, 194); dichlordiphenyltrichloroethane p,p'-DDT, diphenyldichloroethylene p,p'-DDE and other pesticides such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordane derivatives cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane. oxy-chlordane, cis-nonachlor and trans-nonachlor. Statistical comparisons between regions were performed only on compounds having concentrations above LOD in 70% of the samples. PCB118 congener was found to be highest in the industrial site (mean 4.97 ng/g lipids); PCB138 congener concentration was highest in the Urban 3 site (mean 4.27 ng/g lipids) and congener PCB153 was highest in the industrial and Urban 3 sites with mean concentration of 7.2 ng/g lipids and 5.89 ng/g lipids respectively. Large differences in levels of p,p'-DDE between regions were observed with the Urban 3 and industrial sites having the highest concentrations of 645 ng/g lipids and 417 ng/g lipids, respectively; beta-HCH was found to be highest in the Rural 1 site; the gamma-HCH in Rural 1 and industrial; the HCB in the Rural 1 and industrial sites and oxy-chlordane and t-NC in the Rural 2 sites. An association between levels of some contaminants and maternal age and parity was also found. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

137Cs Inventory in sedimentary columns from continental shelf of São Paulo State

137Cs is an artificial radioactive isotope produced by 235U fission. This radionuclide has a high fission yield and a half-life of 30 years. It has been detected in the environment since 1945 and its principal contamination source has been nuclear tests in the atmosphere. There are other sources of 137Cs contamination in the environment, such as: release from nuclear and reprocessing plants, radioactive dumping and nuclear accidents (Chernobyl, for example). This paper presents an inventory of 137Cs on the Continental Shelf of São Paulo State, a region located between Cabo de Santa Marta Grande (Santa Catarina state) and Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro state). In this area, 9 cores were collected by the Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo (São Paulo University Institute of Oceanography). The cores were sliced at every 2 cm; sub-samples were lyophilized, grinded and stored in plastic containers. 137Cs was determined by 661 keV photopeak using a gamma spectrometry detector (Ge hyperpure). The analysis was performed by efficiency and background in different counting times. 137Cs concentration activities varied from 0.3 to 3.6 Bq kg-1 with a mean value of 1.2±0.6 Bq kg-1. The inventory of 137Cs in this area was 13±7 Bq m-2. Values obtained are in agreement with the Southern Hemisphere, a region contaminated by atmospheric fallout due to past nuclear explosions.