Digital disease detection and participatory surveillance: overview and perspectives for Brazil

ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe the digital disease detection and participatory surveillance in different countries. The systems or platforms consolidated in the scientific field were analyzed by describing the strategy, type of data source, main objectives, and manner of interaction with users. Eleven systems or platforms, developed from 1996 to 2016, were analyzed. There was a higher frequency of data mining on the web and active crowdsourcing as well as a trend in the use of mobile applications. It is important to provoke debate in the academia and health services for the evolution of methods and insights into participatory surveillance in the digital age.

Psychometric properties of assessment instruments for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of Brazilian studies

Objective To systematically review the scientific literature on the psychometric properties of international instruments for the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the Brazilian population. Methods A search of bibliographic references was conducted in six electronic databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, IndexPsi, Lilacs, Capes (theses and dissertations) and SciELO. The studies were selected by two independent researchers. Results The procedure identified 11 studies of the Brazilian population that encompassed six ASD assessment tools. Given the information provided, the adaptation of the M-CHAT, a screening instrument, was the best conducted. All steps of the adaptation process were described and the changes made to the final version of the instrument were presented, which was not addressed in other studies. In terms of reliability, all of the instruments that assessed internal consistency showed adequate values. In addition, the ADI-R and the CARS adaptations also satisfactorily contemplated inter-rater reliability and test-retest indices, respectively. Finally, all studies aiming to validate instruments showed evidence of validity and sensitivity, and specificity values above 0.90 were observed in the ASQ, ADI-R and ABC. Conclusion Considering both the psychometric aspects and the copyright information, the screening instrument that currently appears to be best indicated for clinical and research use is the M-CHAT. It was also noticed that there are still no specific ASD diagnostic tools available for use in Brazil. This lack of diagnostic instruments consists in a critical situation for the improvement of clinical practice and the development of research in this area.

Havia alguma ciência no Brasil setecentista?

In the past decade several articles have been published in this journal and elsewhere by different authors, dealing with the institutionalization of science in Brazil, its origins and subsequent history. The emphasis has often been directed to the work of Brazilian scientists working abroad, to foreigners in Brazil, or to a few private individuals within the country, as well as to cultural, social, economic and political considerations. Much of the attention has also been focused on "academic" science, rather than on empirical or technical developments. The present article presents some of these situations, particularly in the mining district, where the application of technology, sometimes quite up-to-date for the time, tended to blur somewhat the distinction between science and its applications. It is hoped that this may start a debate which will enrich our historiography in this field and be of interest to those who want to assess Brazil's position in the history of science.

Processo químico industrial de extração de óleo vegetal: um experimento de química geral

In this study we describe an experimental procedure based on a chemical industrial process of soya-bean oil extraction applied in general chemistry for undergraduate students. The experiment was planned according to the Science, Technology and Society (STS) approach to teach basic chemical concepts and provide grounding in the management of environmental care. The use of real life chemistry problems seems to salient the relevance of chemistry to our students and enhances their motivation to learn both the practical and theoretical components of the discipline.

Ciência como cultura: paradigmas e implicações epistemológicas na educação científica escolar

"Science as culture" is based on the assumption that science is a valuable component of human culture. We therefore have to build the bridge, in cultural terms, from the scientific community to the common citizen. Teaching science as culture requires the co-construction of knowledge and citizenship. Ways of articulating science/technology with society are invoked, pondering on the ethical ambivalence of such connections. The goals of this reflection are to think about: a) epistemological obstacles that, in favouring the logic of monoculture, oppose the implantation of the science as culture; b) epistemological strategies that point towards a diversity of cultural practices and "constellations" of knowledge leading to the reconfiguration of the being through knowledge; c) imperatives that force us to (re)think the epistemological bases suited to the paradigmatic changes and which translate the dynamics and complexity of the evolution of the frameworks that currently sustain science and school scientific education.