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.

Efficacy of brief alcohol screening intervention for college students (BASICS): a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Many studies reported that brief interventions are effective in reducing excessive drinking. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a protocol of brief intervention for college students (BASICS), delivered face-to-face, to reduce risky alcohol consumption and negative consequences. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed by searching for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Medline, PsycInfo, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. A quality assessment of RCTs was made by using a validated scale. Combined mean effect sizes, using meta-analysis random-effects models, were calculated. Results: 18 studies were included in the review. The sample sizes ranged from 54 to 1275 (median = 212). All studies presented a good evaluation of methodological quality and four were found to have excellent quality. After approximately 12 months of follow-up, students receiving BASICS showed a significant reduction in alcohol consumption (difference between means = -1.50 drinks per week, 95% CI: -3.24 to -0.29) and alcohol-related problems (difference between means = -0.87, 95% CI: -1.58 to -0.20) compared to controls. Conclusions: Overall, BASICS lowered both alcohol consumption and negative consequences in college students. Gender and peer factors seem to play an important role as moderators of behavior change in college drinking. Characteristics of BASICS procedure have been evaluated as more favorable and acceptable by students in comparison with others interventions or control conditions. Considerations for future researches were discussed.

Association Between Use of Lung-Protective Ventilation With Lower Tidal Volumes and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Without Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome A Meta-analysis

Context Lung-protective mechanical ventilation with the use of lower tidal volumes has been found to improve outcomes of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It has been suggested that use of lower tidal volumes also benefits patients who do not have ARDS. Objective To determine whether use of lower tidal volumes is associated with improved outcomes of patients receiving ventilation who do not have ARDS. Data Sources MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to August 2012. Study Selection Eligible studies evaluated use of lower vs higher tidal volumes in patients without ARDS at onset of mechanical ventilation and reported lung injury development, overall mortality, pulmonary infection, atelectasis, and biochemical alterations. Data Extraction Three reviewers extracted data on study characteristics, methods, and outcomes. Disagreement was resolved by consensus. Data Synthesis Twenty articles (2822 participants) were included. Meta-analysis using a fixed-effects model showed a decrease in lung injury development (risk ratio [RR], 0.33; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.47; I-2, 0%; number needed to treat [NNT], 11), and mortality (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.89; I-2, 0%; NNT, 23) in patients receiving ventilation with lower tidal volumes. The results of lung injury development were similar when stratified by the type of study (randomized vs nonrandomized) and were significant only in randomized trials for pulmonary infection and only in nonrandomized trials for mortality. Meta-analysis using a random-effects model showed, in protective ventilation groups, a lower incidence of pulmonary infection (RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.92; I-2, 32%; NNT, 26), lower mean (SD) hospital length of stay (6.91 [2.36] vs 8.87 [2.93] days, respectively; standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.51; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.82; I-2, 75%), higher mean (SD) PaCO2 levels (41.05 [3.79] vs 37.90 [4.19] mm Hg, respectively; SMD, -0.51; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.32; I-2, 54%), and lower mean (SD) pH values (7.37 [0.03] vs 7.40 [0.04], respectively; SMD, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.31 to 2.02; I-2, 96%) but similar mean (SD) ratios of PaO2 to fraction of inspired oxygen (304.40 [65.7] vs 312.97 [68.13], respectively; SMD, 0.11; 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.27; I-2, 60%). Tidal volume gradients between the 2 groups did not influence significantly the final results. Conclusions Among patients without ARDS, protective ventilation with lower tidal volumes was associated with better clinical outcomes. Some of the limitations of the meta-analysis were the mixed setting of mechanical ventilation (intensive care unit or operating room) and the duration of mechanical ventilation. JAMA. 2012;308(16):1651-1659 www.jama.com

History and Epistemology of Science in the Classroom: The Synthesis of Quinine as a Proposal

The history of the quinine synthesis can be used as a case study to emphasize that science is influenced by social and historical processes. The first efforts toward the synthesis of this substance, which until recently was the only treatment for malaria, were by Perkin in 1856 when, trying to obtain quinine,,. he synthesized mauveine. Since then, the quest for the total synthesis of quinine involved several characters in a web of controversies. A major step in this process was made in 1918 by Rabe and Kindler, who proposed the synthesis of quinine from quinotoxine. Twenty-six years later, after obtaining the total synthesis of quinotoxine, Woodward and Doering announced the total synthesis of quinine. However, the lack of experimental details about Rabe and Kindler's process, associated with Woodward and Doering's failure to reproduce it, raised a series of doubts about the synthesis. Stork and colleagues questioned the veracity of the experimental data and even the scientific reputation of the involved researchers. Doubts remained alive until 2008, when Williams and Smith reported, not without reservations, the reproducibility of Rabe and Kindler's protocol. The scientific knowledge as a social and historical development, its legitimating process, and the absence of neutrality in science constitute aspects that can be discussed from this case study, providing significant contributions to science education, in particular, to the initial or continued training of chemistry teachers.

Inteligência competitiva como estratégia para serviços de informação: monitoramento web de bibliotecas especializadas na área de química

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo mostrar como as técnicas da Inteligência Competitiva podem ser adaptadas para o ambiente de serviços de informação, apresentando um projeto de monitoramento web de bibliotecas universitárias especializadas na ár ea de Química como estratégia para a melhoria contínua desses ser viços, através da comparação de serviços de informação análogos, selecionados entre as quatro primeiras instituições classificadas no Webometrics - Ranking Web of World Universities , fornecendo dados para o incremento e atualização dos conteúdos informaciona is disponíveis na página virtual de bibliotecas dessa área, melhorando seu acesso e dis ponibilização de informação, bem como contribuindo para a maximização da visibilidade e a valiação da instituição universitária. Palavras-Chave: Inteligência Competitiva, Monitoramento Web, Bibli otecas Universitárias e especializadas, Página Virtual, Serviços de Informa ção

Animal models of prenatal immune challenge and their contribution to the study of schizophrenia: a systematic review

Prenatal immune challenge (PIC) in pregnant rodents produces offspring with abnormalities in behavior, histology, and gene expression that are reminiscent of schizophrenia and autism. Based on this, the goal of this article was to review the main contributions of PIC models, especially the one using the viral-mimetic particle polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly-I:C), to the understanding of the etiology, biological basis and treatment of schizophrenia. This systematic review consisted of a search of available web databases (PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, PsycINFO, and ISI Web of Knowledge) for original studies published in the last 10 years (May 2001 to October 2011) concerning animal models of PIC, focusing on those using poly-I:C. The results showed that the PIC model with poly-I:C is able to mimic the prodrome and both the positive and negative/cognitive dimensions of schizophrenia, depending on the specific gestation time window of the immune challenge. The model resembles the neurobiology and etiology of schizophrenia and has good predictive value. In conclusion, this model is a robust tool for the identification of novel molecular targets during prenatal life, adolescence and adulthood that might contribute to the development of preventive and/or treatment strategies (targeting specific symptoms, i.e., positive or negative/cognitive) for this devastating mental disorder, also presenting biosafety as compared to viral infection models. One limitation of this model is the incapacity to model the full spectrum of immune responses normally induced by viral exposure.

Pain in preterm infants: effects of sex, gestational age, and neonatal illness severity

Neonates hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit are exposed to many painful and stressful procedures. Biobehavioral pain reactivity in preterm infants during the neonatal period may reflect the capacity of the central nervous system to regulate arousal and neurobiological organization. We review empirical studies on the effects of sex, gestational age, and neonatal illness severity on pain reactivity in children born preterm. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Institute of Scientific Information Web of Science, PsycINFO, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases. Additionally, a special search was performed in online journals that publish pain studies including Pain, Early Human Development, European Journal of Pain, and Pain Management Nursing. The literature search covered the period from 2004 to 2009. Data were extracted according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the 18 studies reviewed, 16 analyzed gestational age, 13 examined neonatal illness severity, and eight focused on sex. Most of the studies analyzed more than one of these three variables. The majority of the studies found effects of gestational age (n = 14) and neonatal illness severity (n = 11) on pain responses. Only two studies found an influence of sex on infant pain responses. In conclusion, gestational age and neonatal illness severity influence pain responses in infants born preterm. Further studies should be conducted to examine the influence of sex on pain responses.

Digital library of historical cartography: open access to cultural heritage and public good

This paper describes the integration of information between Digital Library of Historical Cartography and Bibliographical Database (DEDALUS), both of the University of São Paulo (USP), to guarantee open, public access by Internet to the maps in the collection and make them available to users everywhere. This digital library was designed by Historical Cartography Studies Laboratory team (LECH/USP), and provides maps images on the Web, of high resolution, as well as such information on these maps as technical-scientific data (projection, scale, coordinates), printing techniques and material support that have made their circulation and cultural consumption possible. The Digital Library of Historical Cartography is accessible not only to the historical cartography researchers, but also to students and the general public. Beyond being a source of information about maps, the Digital Library of Historical Cartography seeks to be interactive, exchanging information and seeking dialogue with different branches of knowledge

História da propagação das citações originais do artigo do Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer 102/441/2006.

Neste artigo procuraremos descrever a história cronológica das citações originais (aquelas que os nomes dos autores aparecem apenas uma vez, portanto, excluídas as autocitações) da publicação do artigo: M. Cattani and J. M. F. Bassalo, Racemization, Chiral Stability and Weak Interactions, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer 102, pp. 441-449, 2006 (CB: JQS&RT 102/441/2006). Para realizar essa história, usamos a WEB OF SCIENCE (acessado: 08/02/2013) disponibilizado pela CAPES/UFPA.

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES PUBLISHED IN BRAZIL: IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS STUDIES ABOUT HUMAN HEALTH PREVENTION

Integrative review of Brazilian studies about evidence-based practices (EBP) about prevention in human health, published in Web of Science/JCR journals, between October 2010 and April 2011. The aim was to identify the specialties that most accomplished these studies, their foci and methodological approaches. Based on inclusion criteria, 84 studies were selected, mainly published in public health journals, focusing on primary care and also addressing clinical issues and different specialties. Prevention foci and methodological approaches also varied, with a predominance of systematic reviews without meta-analysis. The results indicate that there is no single way to conceptualize and practice EBP in the field of prevention, and that its application may not only serve to obtain indisputable evidence to equip intervention actions. This endless knowledge area is under construction, with a view to the analysis and further understanding of health phenomena.

Sleep disorders in climacteric women

Introduction: This paper examines the various factors that contribute to the occurrence of sleep alterations during peri and post climacteric and thus produce significant imperil to women's quality of life. Among the probable causes of insomnia or sleep disorders associated to climacteric stand out the occurrence of vasomotor symptoms, depressive state and respiratory distress during sleep, such as sleep apnea, along with chronic pain, although psychosocial factors related to the climacteric bear major influence on such clinical status. Method: The bibliographic analysis was carried out using several electronic data base namely: Cochrane, Medline, Embase, Bni Plus, Biological Abstracts, Psycinfo, Web Of Science, Sigle, Dissertation Abstracts and ZETOC published in English, Spanish and Poruguese. The key terms used were: sleep, REM sleep, slow wave sleep polysomnography; electroencephalogram; sleep disturbances; disturbances of sleep onset and maintenance; excessive somnolence disturbances; climacteric; menopause; depression; neurobiology; biologic models; circadian rhythm; mental health and epidemiology. Case studies and letters to the editor were excluded. The summaries of the identified studies found in the data base were analyzed and assessed, and the data analyzed separately according to the subjective or objective criteria for data collection. Results: The climacteric transition constitutes a period of major risk for the development of depressive, vasomotor and insomnia symptoms although not caused solely by hypoestrogenism. The diagnostic methods used in the study of sleep disorders range from subjective assessment by means of response to specific questionnaires to the objective analysis of actigraphic or polissonographic daytime and nocturnal reports. Polissonographic studies of the whole night, performed at the laboratory, are the golden method of choice for diagnostic of sleep disorders. Studies point to the high prevalence of sleep disorders in the climacteric, especially insomnia, apnea and periodic movement of legs and also to the fact that this phase of life presents decrease in the quality of sleep. Women in peri and post climacteric show higher sleep latency and difficulty in its maintenance and refer being less satisfied with its quality even when compared to those who are not climacteric. Exception made to the vasomotor symptomatology, the other climacteric complaints such as mood disturbances, libido alterations, cognitive deficit, articular pain and sleep disorders are markedly associated to psychosocial factors, lifestyle and especially to women's perception of what the climacteric means to their lives. Conclusion: The analysis of the available studies revealed a proneness to deterioration of quality of life of climacteric women markedly in the sleep disturbances, depressed mood and anxiety domains and should not to be basically attributed to the climacteric. It is necessary that the professionals consider the need of assessment of such pathologies as complex phenomena and the literature lacks studies contemplating such dimensions.

Using complex networks concepts to assess approaches for citations in scientific papers

The number of citations received by authors in scientific journals has become a major parameter to assess individual researchers and the journals themselves through the impact factor. A fair assessment therefore requires that the criteria for selecting references in a given manuscript should be unbiased with regard to the authors or journals cited. In this paper, we assess approaches for citations considering two recommendations for authors to follow while preparing a manuscript: (i) consider similarity of contents with the topics investigated, lest related work should be reproduced or ignored; (ii) perform a systematic search over the network of citations including seminal or very related papers. We use formalisms of complex networks for two datasets of papers from the arXiv and the Web of Science repositories to show that neither of these two criteria is fulfilled in practice. By representing the texts as complex networks we estimated a similarity index between pieces of texts and found that the list of references did not contain the most similar papers in the dataset. This was quantified by calculating a consistency index, whose maximum value is one if the references in a given paper are the most similar in the dataset. For the areas of "complex networks" and "graphenes", the consistency index was only 0.11-0.23 and 0.10-0.25, respectively. To simulate a systematic search in the citation network, we employed a traditional random walk search (i.e. diffusion) and a random walk whose probabilities of transition are proportional to the number of the ingoing edges of the neighbours. The frequency of visits to the nodes (papers) in the network had a very small correlation with either the actual list of references in the papers or with the number of downloads from the arXiv repository. Therefore, apparently the authors and users of the repository did not follow the criterion related to a systematic search over the network of citations. Based on these results, we propose an approach that we believe is fairer for evaluating and complementing citations of a given author, effectively leading to a virtual scientometry.

Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an anxiolytic drug

Objectives: To review and describe studies of the non-psychotomimetic constituent of Cannabis sativa, cannabidiol (CBD), as an anxiolytic drug and discuss its possible mechanisms of action. Method: The articles selected for the review were identified through searches in English,articles, and book chapters were handsearched for additional references. Experimental animal and human studies were included, with no time restraints. Results: Studies using animal models of anxiety and involving healthy volunteers clearly suggest an anxiolytic-like effect of CBD. like", and "cannabidiol and anxiety". The reference lists of the publications included, review Portuguese, and Spanish in the electronic databases ISI Web of Knowledge, SciELO, PubMed, and PsycINFO, combining the search terms "cannabidiol and anxiolytic", "cannabidiol and anxiolytic-articles, and book chapters were handsearched for additional references. Experimental animal and human studies were included, with no time restraints. Results: Studies using animal models of anxiety and involving healthy volunteers clearly suggest an anxiolytic-like effect of CBD. Moreover, CBD was shown to reduce anxiety in patients with social anxiety disorder. Conclusion: like", and "cannabidiol and anxiety". The reference lists of the publications included, review Future clinical trials involving patients with different anxiety disorders are warranted, especially of panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorders. The adequate therapeutic window of CBD and the precise mechanisms involved in its anxiolytic action remain to be determined.

Periódicos de Ciência da Informação nas bases de dados internacionais

PO artigo demonstra as interações entre algumas bases de dados internacionais na disponibilização de periódicos da área de Ciência da Informação. Para isso, foram investigadas seis bases de dados com acesso a texto completo dentro da área de Ciência da Informação. Foram elas: Web of Science, Scopus, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, Library Literature Information Science – full text e Library Information Science Abstract. No desenvolvimento da pesquisa foram utilizados conceitos, princípios e equações da ‘teoria ingênua dos conjuntos’, o que permitiu observar as bases de dados como conjuntos compostos por elementos, aqui considerados os títulos de periódicos, bem como conferir consistência aos resultados. A análise dos dados foi dividida em três etapas, a saber: a) a primeira priorizou o cruzamento entre as duas maiores bases de dados utilizadas para levantamento bibliográfico (Web of Science e Scopus), seguido do cruzamento com a mais utilizada na Ciência da Informação, a Library and Information Science Abstracts; b) a segunda etapa tratou somente do cruzamento das bases especialistas da área; c) a terceira e última etapa tratou da interseção de todas as bases de dados do estudo. O resultado mostra que 10 títulos de periódicos constituem a interseção dos seis conjuntos de bases de dados. Foi possível identificar, também, o número de periódicos disponibilizados exclusivamente por uma base de dados, demonstrando que as necessidades de pesquisas bibliográficas exaustivas passam, obrigatoriamente, pelo levantamento em todas as bases de dados aqui elencadas.

Intervenções psicoeducacionais para cuidadores de idosos com demência: uma revisão sistemática

OBJETIVO: Identificar modelos de intervenções psicoeducacionais e os seus efeitos em cuidadores de idosos com demência. MÉTODOS: Levantamento de estudos publicados entre janeiro de 2000 e abril de 2012 nas bases de dados PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Lilacs e SciELO, utilizando as seguintes palavras-chave "psychoeducational and caregiver", "cuidador e demência e psicoeducação" e "cuidador e intervenção". Apenas os artigos que denominavam a intervenção estudada como psicoeducação fazem parte do presente estudo. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 27 artigos com relatos acerca do impacto de intervenções psicoeducacionais em cuidadores de idosos com demência. Os resultados mais prevalentes desses estudos são: melhora do bem-estar dos cuidadores (37% dos estudos); aumento do uso de estratégias de enfrentamento (30%); diminuição de pensamentos disfuncionais (30%); aumento do conhecimento sobre os serviços disponíveis (19%); melhora da autoeficácia (15%); e aumento de habilidades para o cuidado (11%). A abordagem psicoeducacional descrita nos estudos é do âmbito informativo, cognitivo-comportamental, com técnicas de gerenciamento de estresse e de emoções; técnicas de resolução de problemas e apoio emocional. CONCLUSÃO: A intervenção psicoeducacional contribui significativamente para a melhora do bem-estar do cuidador, contudo ainda é necessária uma padronização dessa abordagem, em termos de estrutura, duração e conteúdos ministrados, para que haja evidências mais precisas do efeito desse tipo de intervenção.