Supplementation and therapeutic use of vitamin D in patients with multiple sclerosis: Consensus of the Scientific Department of Neuroimmunology of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology

A esclerose múltipla (EM) é uma doença inflamatória, autoimune, desmielinizante e degenerativa do sistema nervoso central. Estudos epidemiológicos têm identificado associações de hipovitaminose D com doenças autoimunes. O principal objetivo desta revisão é responder se há evidências que indiquem o uso terapêutico de vitamina D em monoterapia para pacientes com EM. Por meio dos sites PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS e Scielo foram realizadas buscas usando os descritores “vitamin D”, e “multiple sclerosis” até 12/09/2013. Estudos clínicos randomizados, controlados e duplo-cegos foram selecionados para avaliar a resposta terapêutica da vitamina D na EM. Não foram encontradas evidências científicas que justifiquem o uso da vitamina D em monoterapia no tratamento da EM, na prática clínica.

Use of sample size calculation in scientific research in Brazilian Physical Education journals

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Scientific collaboration network among Brazilian universities: an analysis in Dentistry area

This paper analyses the scientific collaboration network formed by the Brazilian universities that investigate in dentistry area. The constructed network is based on the published documents in the Scopus (Elsevier) database covering a period of 10 (ten) years. It is used social network analysis as the best methodological approach to visualize the capacity for collaboration, dissemination and transmission of new knowledge among universities. Cohesion and density of the collaboration network is analyzed, as well as the centrality of the universities as key-actors and the occurrence of subgroups within the network. Data were analyzed using the software UCINET and NetDraw. The number of documents published by each university was used as an indicator of its scientific production.

Semiótica do discurso científico: um estudo sobre novas perspectivas para a análise documental de conteúdo

Greimas Semiotic offers procedures for the analysis of different types of texts and discourses. For this reason, this study aimed to analyze the production of sense from scientific discourse, explained by Greimas Semiotics and Generative Sense Course, seeking to develop a new perspective on the identification of aboutness in Documentary Content Analysis and Information Science. The method used was exploratory and bibliographic review. Results show that the analysis of scientific discourse contributes to the identification of aboutness in Documentary Content Analysis, using Greimas Semiotics and Generative Sense Course.

O movimento interdisciplinar em Ciência da Informação: uma reflexão epistemológica

The complexity of interdisciplinarity as a category of analysis in contemporary discourses gain evidence. In information science, the practice of integration of scientific discourse aims, among others, the establishment and consolidation of their identity as a scientific field. Thus, the study aims to reflect on the epistemological status of information science as an interdisciplinary scientific field. To this end, we discuss the interdisciplinarity in the sciences and, under this understanding, address the interdisciplinary movement in Information Science and the real fruits of this process nowadays. The reflections undertaken in this study indicate the need to forward the discussions on interdisciplinarity as a focal point with the configuration of the related fields and their real benefits for Information Science.

Benefits of soil carbon: report on the outcomes of an international scientific committee on problems of the environment rapid assessment workshop

A Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment Rapid Assessment (SCOPE-RAP) workshop was held on 18-22 March 2013. This workshop was hosted by the European Commission, JRC Centre at Ispra, Italy, and brought together 40 leading experts from Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America to create four synthesis chapters aimed at identifying knowledge gaps, research requirements, and policy innovations. Given the forthcoming publication by CABI of a book volume of the outcomes of the SCOPE-RAP in 2014, this workshop report provides an update on the global societal challenge of soil carbon management and some of the main issues and solutions that were identified in the four working sessions.

The University and its libraries: reactions and resistance to scientific publishers

This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers' flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we presente reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses.

Critical discourses on resilience: exploring alternatives strategies used by young people at-risk

The concept of resilience is often situated in a dominant discourse that reflects medical and developmentalist epistemology, in Western models, with the ideology of white people, and middle class hegemonic norms. Behavior that falls outside of the normal, or what is socially acceptable, is associated with riskiness and tacitly if not explicitly labeled as pathological, and then, not resilient. However, the context of social injustice of many young people at-risk can have drastic effects on them. When we offer institutions such as schools that do not understand their needs, they may refuse our services and some of them may engage in antisocial activities, since they are looking for personal validation, pathways to recognize themselves, and places and organizations that contribute to the building of their social identity. This paper analyses how the denial of support and resources for the wellbeing of young people can lead them to situations that are socially unacceptable, such as sexual exploitation and drug trafficking. The main argument is that these activities, in the absence of conventional mechanisms, may bring some benefit to the subjects. Benefits may be in material conditions, though strongly marked by issues of social inequality; or subjective, in gaining relationships with people outside the normative places and institutions for young people. Unconventional circumstances produce unconventional attitudes that are expressed in alternative forms of resilience.

Experimentação e educação ambiental: contribuições metodológicas

During the last centuries, the human being have been considered the center of the universe. The man believed that nature was at his disposal. Appropriated their processes, their cycles changed, redefined their spaces. Today, when faced with an environmental crisis which threatens the planet life, including the human life, the Science Education can contribute to a reconstruction of man-nature relationship in other terms. The transformation of teaching practices in the school environment, to be reflective, it is still a process that challenges the vast majority of teachers. As has been indicated by Guerra (2004), among others, the traditional teaching of content delivery is still very strong and certainly more deeply embedded in ideas and activities of the teachers who focus on environmental education. With it, a theory and pedagogical discourses in critical-reflexive actions is still a major obstacle. Therefore, new proposals for education and continuing education activities need to be formulated and presented based on the characteristics and needs breathing. Therefore propose changes in the way of teaching, where there is more room for a theory and praxis alone or with a only scientific truth. The scenery of society requires that knowledge is constructed to interconnect all disciplines, joining theory and practice so we can understand the whole and their relations in an integrated manner. It was proposed here a way to build a school and applying theoretical and practical activities involving experimental and seeking to meet the principles of Environmental Education for the training of citizens aware and critical. At the same time cares to use textbooks very rich in its pedagogical character that are present in schools and often are, forgotten and unused by teachers. From this way, I chose to Experimentoteca, ...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

O discurso do uso de animais nas pesquisas de Educação Física

It is possible in many countries, perhaps all, there is business groups of pharmaceuticals industry, cosmetics together with the universities that use animals in scientific research and testing for the creation of new products and medicines. Currently is growing discussion about standards and criteria for the use of these animals (guinea pigs) and also increases the number of debates on ethical issues in research with animal models. This research seeks to portray the reality of the use of animals in scientific research academic at the University, specifically to research in physical education, as it has used animals in the areas of Physiology of Sport and Physical Activity, Nutrition for Athletes, among others. Initially is shown the pre-reflection, exposing the laws governing the subject, treating the animal experimentation with regard to its history and the issues of speciesism and the methodological mistake. It reveals what it is and as is the use of animals in education and the inability of the student to change that reality, to refuse to participate in the cruel activity, and even they are aware of their rights as in the case of the withdrawal of consciousness. Presents researchers and universities not use animals and ends the pre-debate showing Who is really the most animal research at the university by providing alternatives for them. We conducted a literature survey on animal experimentation, research universities, and alternative methods. The following is the phenomenon in understanding and awareness of the researchers who use animals in their research, conducting a phenomenological analysis of his speeches, revealing the meanings of their animal research. The focus of this study is, therefore, the analysis of discourses of researchers who carried out research using animal experiments (guinea pigs). The phenomenon of understanding of the researchers about their research is made clear... (Complete abstract click ectronic access below)

A polêmica sobre os transgênicos: Monsanto vs. MST

Based on a discursive perspective, in this paper we analyze some aspects of the dialogue between the discourse in favor of and the one against transgenics in Brazil, by showing the dialogic relations that each of them engages with other discourses. We noticed that the anti-transgenics discourse, which opposes openly the pro-transgenics trend, has been built upon both the scientific and the leftist political discourses, whereas the pro-transgenics discourse has been constructed upon the scientific discourse and covertly polemicizes with its other.

O dispositivo de juventude e as políticas públicas no Brasil

Pós-graduação em Ciências Sociais - FFC

An Informatics Technical Note on Interaction of DNA - Graphene Chemical Sensor System as Reaction-Diffusion Wave-Based Computing System in Ionised Gaseous environments and their Applications Using Theoretical Studies and Scientific Computation Overview

The physics of plasmas encompasses basic problems from the universe and has assured us of promises in diverse applications to be implemented in a wider range of scientific and engineering domains, linked to most of the evolved and evolving fundamental problems. Substantial part of this domain could be described by R–D mechanisms involving two or more species (reaction–diffusion mechanisms). These could further account for the simultaneous non-linear effects of heating, diffusion and other related losses. We mention here that in laboratory scale experiments, a suitable combination of these processes is of vital importance and very much decisive to investigate and compute the net behaviour of plasmas under consideration. Plasmas are being used in the revolution of information processing, so we considered in this technical note a simple framework to discuss and pave the way for better formalisms and Informatics, dealing with diverse domains of science and technologies. The challenging and fascinating aspects of plasma physics is that it requires a great deal of insight in formulating the relevant design problems, which in turn require ingenuity and flexibility in choosing a particular set of mathematical (and/or experimental) tools to implement them.

Qualidade da educação escolar: discursos, práticas e representações sociais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)