Índice h de docentes em Saúde Coletiva no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Estimar valores de referência e função de hierarquia de docentes em Saúde Coletiva do Brasil por meio de análise da distribuição do índice h. MÉTODOS: A partir do portal da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, 934 docentes foram identificados em 2008, dos quais 819 foram analisados. O índice h de cada docente foi obtido na Web of Science mediante algoritmos de busca com controle para homonímias e alternativas de grafia de nome. Para cada região e para o Brasil como um todo ajustou-se função densidade de probabilidade exponencial aos parâmetros média e taxa de decréscimo por região. Foram identificadas medidas de posição e, com o complemento da função probabilidade acumulada, função de hierarquia entre autores conforme o índice h por região. RESULTADOS: Dos docentes, 29,8% não tinham qualquer registro de citação (h = 0). A média de h para o País foi 3,1, com maior média na região Sul (4,7). A mediana de h para o País foi 2,1, também com maior mediana na Sul (3,2). Para uma padronização de população de autores em cem, os primeiros colocados para o País devem ter h = 16; na estratificação por região, a primeira posição demanda valores mais altos no Nordeste, Sudeste e Sul, sendo nesta última h = 24. CONCLUSÕES: Avaliados pelos índices h da Web of Science, a maioria dos autores em Saúde Coletiva não supera h = 5. Há diferenças entres as regiões, com melhor desempenho para a Sul e valores semelhantes entre Sudeste e Nordeste.

A new indicator for international visibility: exploring Brazilian scientific community

Brazilian science has increased fast during the last decades. An example is the increasing in the country`s share in the world`s scientific publication within the main international databases. But what is the actual weight of international publications to the whole Brazilian productivity? In order to respond this question, we have elaborated a new indicator, the International Publication Ratio (IPR). The data source was Lattes Database, a database organized by one of the main Brazilian S&T funding agency, which encompasses publication data from 1997 to 2004 of about 51,000 Brazilian researchers. Influences of distinct parameters, such as sectors, fields, career age and gender, are analyzed. We hope the data presented may help S&T managers and other S&T interests to better understand the complexity under the concept scientific productivity, especially in peripheral countries in science, such as Brazil.

Tecnologias para investigação da DAC: relação entre publicações científicas e utilização clínica

FUNDAMENTO: Apesar de algumas evidências sugerirem associação entre a exposição de uma tecnologia na literatura científica e sua difusão na prática clínica, poucos estudos avaliaram essa associação. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo é analisar se o padrão de publicação científica sobre duas tecnologias competitivas utilizadas na avaliação da doença arterial coronária (DAC) reflete o que ocorre na prática clínica. MÉTODOS: Avaliou-se o número de artigos científicos publicados anualmente na literatura médica (interesse científico global na tecnologia) sobre duas tecnologias utilizadas na avaliação da doença arterial coronária: tomografia computadorizada por feixe de elétrons e tomografia computadorizada com múltiplos detectores. Foi também analisado o número de países que publicam anualmente artigos científicos sobre essas tecnologias (interesse geográfico na tecnologia). RESULTADOS: A tomografia computadorizada por feixe de elétrons (electron beam computed tomography - EBCT) apresentou ápice de "interesse científico global" em 2001, com 127 artigos publicados. Após esse ápice, o "interesse científico global" diminuiu cerca de 50% em 2008. Em oposição, o "interesse científico global" pela tomografia computadorizada com múltiplos detectores (multidetector computed tomography - MDCT) aumentou progressivamente até 2007, com 454 artigos publicados nesse ano. O "interesse científico geográfico" pela EBCT teve ápice em 2002, com 14 países publicando sobre essa tecnologia. Após esse ápice, "o interesse científico geográfico" declinou em quase 25% até 2008, com 11 países publicando artigos sobre essa tecnologia. Em oposição, o "interesse científico geográfico" pela MDCT aumentou progressivamente até 2008, com 37 países publicando artigos sobre ela. CONCLUSÃO: A literatura científica médica é compatível com a substituição da EBCT pela MDCT na avaliação da DAC.

Pitfalls of artificial grouping and stratification of scientific journals based on their Impact Factor: a case study in Brazilian Zoology

The present contribution explores the impact of the QUALIS metric system for academic evaluation implemented by CAPES (Coordination for the Development of Personnel in Higher Education) upon Brazilian Zoological research. The QUALIS system is based on the grouping and ranking of scientific journals according to their Impact Factor (IF). We examined two main points implied by this system, namely: 1) its reliability as a guideline for authors; 2) if Zoology possesses the same publication profile as Botany and Oceanography, three fields of knowledge grouped by CAPES under the subarea "BOZ" for purposes of evaluation. Additionally, we tested CAPES' recent suggestion that the area of Ecology would represent a fourth field of research compatible with the former three. Our results indicate that this system of classification is inappropriate as a guideline for publication improvement, with approximately one third of the journals changing their strata between years. We also demonstrate that the citation profile of Zoology is distinct from those of Botany and Oceanography. Finally, we show that Ecology shows an IF that is significantly different from those of Botany, Oceanography, and Zoology, and that grouping these fields together would be particularly detrimental to Zoology. We conclude that the use of only one parameter of analysis for the stratification of journals, i.e., the Impact Factor calculated for a comparatively small number of journals, fails to evaluate with accuracy the pattern of publication present in Zoology, Botany, and Oceanography. While such simplified procedure might appeals to our sense of objectivity, it dismisses any real attempt to evaluate with clarity the merit embedded in at least three very distinct aspects of scientific practice, namely: productivity, quality, and specificity.

Solvation in Pure Liquids: What Can Be Learned from the Use of Pairs of Indicators?

The solvation of six solvatochromic probes in a large number of solvents (33-68) was examined at 25 degrees C. The probes employed were the following: 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (RB); 4-[(E)2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePM; 1-methylquinolinium-8-olate, QB; 2-bromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr, 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl pyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (WB); and 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr(2), respectively. Of these, MePMBr is a novel compound. They can be grouped in three pairs, each with similar pK(a) in water but with different molecular properties, for example, lipophilicity and dipole moment. These pairs are formed by RB and MePM; QB and MePMBr; WB and MePMBr(2), respectively. Theoretical calculations were carried out in order to calculate their physicochemical properties including bond lengths, dihedral angles, dipole moments, and wavelength of absorption of the intramolecular charge-transfer band in four solvents, water, methanol, acetone, and DMSO, respectively. The data calculated were in excellent agreement with available experimental data, for example, bond length and dihedral angles. This gives credence to the use of the calculated properties in explaining the solvatochromic behaviors observed. The dependence of an empirical solvent polarity scale E(T)(probe) in kcal/mol on the physicochemical properties of the solvent (acidity, basicity, and dipolarity/polarizability) and those of the probes (pK(a), and dipole moment) was analyzed by using known multiparameter solvation equations. For each pair of probes, values of E(T)(probe) (for example, E(T)(MePM) versus E(T)(RB)) were found to be linearly correlated with correlation coefficients, r, between 0.9548 and 0.9860. For the mercyanine series, the values of E(T)(probe) also correlated linearly, with (r) of 0.9772 (MePMBr versus MePM) and 0.9919 (MePMBr(2) versus MePM). The response of each pair of probes (of similar pK(a)) to solvent acidity is the same, provided that solute-solvent hydrogen-bonding is not seriously affected by steric crowding (as in case of RB). We show, for the first time, that the response to solvent dipolarity/polarizability is linearly correlated to the dipole moment of the probes. The successive introduction of bromine atoms in MePM (to give MePMBr, then MePMBr(2)) leads to the following linear decrease: pK(a) in water, length of the phenolate oxygen-carbon bond, length of the central ethylenic bond, susceptibility to solvent acidity, and susceptibility to solvent dipolarity/polarizability. Thus studying the solvation of probes whose molecular structures are varied systematically produces a wealth of information on the effect of solute structure on its solvation. The results of solvation of the present probes were employed in order to test the goodness of fit of two independent sets of solvent solvatochromic parameters.

Probing the dependence of the properties of cellulose acetates and their films on the degree of biopolymer substitution: use of solvatochromic indicators and thermal analysis

Although cellulose acetates, CAs, are extensively employed there is scant information about the systematic dependence of their properties on their degree of substitution, DS; this is the subject of the present work. Nine CAs samples, DS from 0.83 to 3.0 were synthesized; their films were prepared. The following solvatochromic probes have been employed in order to determine the empirical polarity, E (T)(33); ""acidity, alpha""; ""basicity, beta"", and ""dipolarity/polarizability, pi*"" of the casted films: 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-pyridinium-1-yl) phenolate, WB; 4-nitroaniline; 4-nitroanisole; 4-nitro-N,N-dimethylaniline; 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-pyridinium-1-yl)phenolate, RB. Additionally, two systems, ethanol plus ethyl acetate (EtOH-EtAc), and cellulose plus cellulose triacetate, CTA, were employed as models for CAs of different DS. Regarding the model systems, the following was observed: (i) For EtOH-EtAc, the dependence of all solvatochromic parameters on the ""equivalent-DS"" of the binary mixture was non-linear because of preferential solvation; (ii) The dependence of E (T)(33) on equivalent DS of the cellulose-CTA films is linear, but the slope is smaller than that of the corresponding plot for CAs. This is attributed to the more efficient hydrogen bonding in the model system, a conclusion corroborated by IR measurements. The dependence of solvatochromic parameters of CAs on their DS is described by the simple equations; a consequence of the substitution of the OH by the ester group. The thermal properties of bulk CAs samples were investigated by DSC and TGA; their dependence on DS is described by simple equations. The relevance of these data to the processing and applications of CAs is briefly discussed.

Surface Properties of Calcinated Titanium Dioxide Probed by Solvatochromic Indicators: Relevance to Catalytic Applications

Titanium dioxide was obtained by hydrolysis of the corresponding ethoxide, followed by washing, drying, and calcination at 80, 160, 240, 320, 400, and 700 C, respectively. The following surface properties of the solids obtained were determined as a function of the calcinations temperature: T(Calcn); area by the BET method; BrOnsted acidity by titration with sodium hydroxide; empirical polarity, ET(30); Lewis acidity, alpha(Surf); Lewis basicity, beta(Surf); and dipolarity/polarizability pi*(Sturf), by use of solvatochromic indicators. Except for le surf whose value increased slightly, heating the samples resulted in a decrease of all of the above-mentioned surface properties, due to the decrease of surface hydroxyl groups. This conclusion has been corroborated by FTIR. Values of E(T)(30), alpha(Surf), and pi*(Surf) are higher than those of water and alcohols; the BrOnsted and Lewis acidities of the samples correlate linearly. The advantages of using solvatochromic indicators to probe the surface properties and relevance of the results to the applications of TiO(2) are discussed.

A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of reports of clinical trials published in six Brazilian dental journals indexed in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO)

INTRODUCTION: Open access publishing is becoming increasingly popular within the biomedical sciences. SciELO, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, is a digital library covering a selected collection of Brazilian scientific journals many of which provide open access to full-text articles.This library includes a number of dental journals some of which may include reports of clinical trials in English, Portuguese and/or Spanish. Thus, SciELO could play an important role as a source of evidence for dental healthcare interventions especially if it yields a sizeable number of high quality reports. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify reports of clinical trials by handsearching of dental journals that are accessible through SciELO, and to assess the overall quality of these reports. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electronic versions of six Brazilian dental Journals indexed in SciELO were handsearched at www.scielo.br in September 2008. Reports of clinical trials were identified and classified as controlled clinical trials (CCTs - prospective, experimental studies comparing 2 or more healthcare interventions in human beings) or randomized controlled trials (RCTs - a random allocation method is clearly reported), according to Cochrane eligibility criteria. CRITERIA TO ASSESS METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY INCLUDED: method of randomization, concealment of treatment allocation, blinded outcome assessment, handling of withdrawals and losses and whether an intention-to-treat analysis had been carried out. RESULTS: The search retrieved 33 CCTs and 43 RCTs. A majority of the reports provided no description of either the method of randomization (75.3%) or concealment of the allocation sequence (84.2%). Participants and outcome assessors were reported as blinded in only 31.2% of the reports. Withdrawals and losses were only clearly described in 6.5% of the reports and none mentioned an intention-to-treat analysis or any similar procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that a substantial number of reports of trials and systematic reviews are available in the dental journals listed in SciELO, and that these could provide valuable evidence for clinical decision making. However, it is clear that the quality of a number of these reports is of some concern and that improvement in the conduct and reporting of these trials could be achieved if authors adhered to internationally accepted guidelines, e.g. the CONSORT statement.

Risk indicators for aggressive periodontitis in an untreated isolated young population from Brazil

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of aggressive periodontitis (AgP), and to investigate the association between demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral risk indicators with AgP in an untreated and isolated young population in Southeastern Brazil. For this cross-sectional survey, 134 subjects aged 12-29 years were selected by a census. Of those eligible, 101 subjects received a full-mouth clinical examination, and were interviewed using a structured written questionnaire. Cases were defined as individuals with 4 or more teeth with attachment loss > 4 mm or > 5 mm in the age groups 12-19 and 20-29, respectively. Overall, 9.9% of the subjects presented AgP (10.3% of the 12-19-year-olds and 9.7% of the 20-29-year-olds). The only risk indicator significantly associated with AgP in this isolated population was a high proportion of sites (> 30%) presenting supragingival calculus [OR = 23.2]. Having experienced an urgency dental treatment was a protective factor for AgP [OR = 0.1]. The authors concluded that this isolated and untreated population from Brazil presented a high prevalence of AgP. Local plaque-retaining factors played a major role in the prevalence of AgP in this isolated population, and should be included in further studies evaluating this destructive periodontal disease form.

Innovation and entrepreneurship in scientific research

This research wants to lay emphasis on topics that historicize and rescue concepts, in addition, shows the relation between innovation and socioeconomic development resulted; reviews the legal framework to stimulate new innovation into Brazilian society; considers the definition and the entrepreneur university's new paradigm; and finally, this research highlights the importance of teaching entrepreneur at universities, with straight society benefits. The results suggests that innovation is directly enrolled with a successful development of certain society, as well, is actually the biggest business competitive differential into corporative universe. In one way of getting results of social advancement to inform entrepreneur research practice, it appears that entrepreneurs concepts, necessarily, must be incorporated into the array of Science/Technology/Innovation for the effective development of supported formula. This article develops a thought about actual scientific researches paradigm, the way that is built on today, and if it's sufficient to effectively get the results that society expects from main bodies to create human resource and researches, especially those with innovation aspects, at Brazilian economic improvement.

Epidemiologia da leishmaniose tegumentar americana no Estado do Acre, Amazônia brasileira

Efetuou-se estudo estatístico descritivo em 8.516 casos de leishmaniose tegumentar americana no Estado do Acre, Brasil, no período de 2001 a 2006 (segundo período), comparando-se com os resultados de publicação anterior com dados no mesmo estado entre 1992 e 1997 (primeiro período). A prevalência no estado mais que dobrou entre os dois momentos (55,7/10 mil habitantes de 1992 a 1997 e 128,5/10 mil habitantes entre 2001 e 2006. O sexo masculino foi o mais acometido (68,8%, n = 5.860) no segundo período. A média das idades foi de 26,3 anos, valor discretamente menor do que o do primeiro período. Pacientes com baixa escolaridade foram os mais acometidos pela doença. As demais variáveis avaliadas foram zona de residência, ocupação, critério de diagnóstico, forma clínica, tratamento, recidiva, tempo para procurar tratamento e evolução da doença. Conclui-se que houve piora nos indicadores epidemiológicos da leishmaniose tegumentar americana avaliados no estado entre os períodos estudados.

Richards growth model and viability indicators for populations subject to interventions

In this work we study the problem of modeling identification of a population employing a discrete dynamic model based on the Richards growth model. The population is subjected to interventions due to consumption, such as hunting or farming animals. The model identification allows us to estimate the probability or the average time for a population number to reach a certain level. The parameter inference for these models are obtained with the use of the likelihood profile technique as developed in this paper. The identification method here developed can be applied to evaluate the productivity of animal husbandry or to evaluate the risk of extinction of autochthon populations. It is applied to data of the Brazilian beef cattle herd population, and the the population number to reach a certain goal level is investigated.

Condições socioeconômicas e câncer de cabeça e pescoço: uma revisão sistemática de literatura

O presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever as principais características dos estudos epidemiológicos que investigaram a associação entre condições socioeconômicas e câncer de cabeça e pescoço. Foram pesquisadas as bases de dados Medline (Literatura Internacional em Ciências), Lilacs (Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde) e Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online), além de referências citadas nos artigos obtidos a partir da busca primária nessas bases. O período de publicação considerado englobou 38 anos (1970-2007) e a análise restringiu-se aos artigos em espanhol, inglês ou português. Foram selecionados 25 estudos, 15 com delineamento caso-controle, quatro ecológicos e seis que mesclaram informações de bases de dados oficiais, como censos e registros de câncer ou de óbitos. A maior parte das pesquisas reportou associação entre piores condições socioeconômicas e câncer de cabeça e pescoço. Os indicadores mais empregados foram a ocupação e a escolaridade. Poucos estudos investigaram mediação, procurando evidenciar quais os fatores proximais operam na associação investigada. Pesquisas adicionais, com critérios uniformes para proceder aos ajustes nos modelos de regressão e amostra suficiente, são necessárias para investigar essa dimensão.

Periodontal outcomes and social, racial and gender inequalities in Brazil: a systematic review of the literature between 1999 and 2008

The objective of this study was to review the Brazilian epidemiologic literature on periodontal outcomes and socio-demographic factors, assessing bibliographic and methodological characteristics of this scientific production, as well as the consistency and statistical significance of the examined associations. A systematic review was carried out in six bibliographic sources. The review was limited to the period between 1999 and 2008, without any other type of restriction. Among the 410 papers identified, 29 were included in the review. An increasing number of articles, specifically in the last four years of study, was observed. However, there is a concentration of studies in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil, and many of them are not closely connected to theoretical formulations in the field. In spite of these shortcomings, the review findings corroborate the idea that poor socioeconomic conditions are associated with periodontal outcomes, as demonstrated primarily by income and schooling indicators.

Validade científica de conhecimento epidemiológico gerado com base no estudo Saúde Bucal Brasil 2003

Problematiza-se a afirmação de que não são válidas as estimativas sobre as condições de saúde bucal da população brasileira geradas pelo SB Brasil 2003. Criticam-se os elementos que pretendem sustentar esse ponto de vista com base apenas em conceitos estatísticos, sem prova empírica. Identificam-se reduções decorrentes da abordagem epistemocêntrica que recusa peremptoriamente outras formas de conhecimento e não reconhece o caráter multidisciplinar da epidemiologia. Reconstituem-se informações sobre a realização do levantamento e seu impacto na produção de conhecimento. Faz-se uma analogia entre ciência e arte, argumentando-se que, nas imagens obtidas por ambas, os saberes gerados a partir do objeto cognoscível assumem feições variadas e, portanto, o reconhecimento de sua validade requer amplo domínio do objeto e operações com adequados critérios de valor. Conclui-se pela cientificidade, validade e relevância da produção acadêmica desenvolvida a partir da base de dados do levantamento SB Brasil 2003.