Social and environmental indexes to determine the impacts of closed neighbourhoods in Brazil

São Paulo State, in Brazil, is getting increasingly crowded, like in other third world countries around the world, so should give great importance to city development. This work considered the phenomenon of closed neighbourhoods (CN) as an important factor to city planning, papers report many impacts of this model of neighbourhoods in other countries, but in Brazil its impacts are not yet well listed in the literature. The aim of this work was to determine indicators to achieve the social and environmental performances and verify their applicability on three different closed neighbourhoods in São Paulo state, Brazil. The indicators were condensed on indexes: water management, waste management, energy and emissions, legal compliance, environment and buildings, risk management, health and education and governance. The preliminary results indicated several social and environmental problems in all indexes. © 2013 WIT Press.

A success in Toxinology translational research in Brazil: Bridging the gap

Basic research is fundamental for discovering potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools, including drugs, vaccines and new diagnostic techniques. On this basis, diagnosis and treatment methods for many diseases have been developed. Presently, discovering new candidate molecules and testing them in animals are relatively easy tasks that require modest resources and responsibility. However, crossing the animal-to-human barrier is still a great challenge that most researchers tend to avoid. Thus, bridging this current gap between clinical and basic research must be encouraged and elucidated in training programmes for health professionals. This project clearly shows the challenges faced by a group of Brazilian researchers who, after discovering a new fibrin sealant through 20 years of painstaking basic work, insisted on having the product applied clinically. The Brazilian government has recently become aware of this challenge and has accordingly defined the product as strategic to the public health of the country. Thus, in addition to financing research and development laboratories, resources were invested in clinical trials and in the development of a virtual platform termed the Virtual System to Support Clinical Research (SAVPC); this platform imparts speed, reliability and visibility to advances in product development, fostering interactions among sponsors, physicians, students and, ultimately, the research subjects themselves. This pioneering project may become a future model for other public institutions in Brazil, principally in overcoming neglected diseases, which unfortunately continue to afflict this tropical country. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Comparison of methods in oral health education from the perspective of adolescents.

To investigate whether teenagers' knowledge about oral health is influenced by educational methods and to verify the most effective method according to their perception. The study was performed in Araçatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil, with 127 teenagers from a vocational school. It was realised in 3 steps: 1. An evaluation of knowledge about oral health using a self-applied questionnaire. 2. An application of educational methods, where the students were divided into two groups (A and B). Group A participated in three educational activities that involved lectures, individual demonstration, and participatory activity. Group B was divided into three subgroups (B1, B2, B3) and each of them participated in only one of the methods. 3. The acquired knowledge was evaluated. Group A created a focus group to give their opinion about strategies. With regards to knowledge after the application of the different methods in all groups, there was a statistically significant difference concerning periodontitis, gingivitis and herpes. In group A, after the three activities, and in group B2 after the individual demonstration, an association was found between 'healthy teeth' and 'general health' (P = 0.004 and P = 0.022, respectively). After the individual demonstration, an association was shown between variables of acquired knowledge about 'harmful diet' and 'dental caries' (P = 0.002) as well as 'good diet' and 'prevention of oral diseases' (P = 0.032). The favourite method was individual demonstration, due to the contact with educational materials, followed by participatory activity because it encouraged learning in a more dynamic way. Educational methods influenced knowledge about oral health, with individual demonstration proving to be the most effective method for acquiring knowledge. In the adolescents' view, the participatory activity was the preferred method.

Deprivation viewed from a multidimensional perspective: The case of Brazil

Includes bibliography.

Determinants of unfair inequality in Brazil, 1995 and 2009

This article analyses the trend of unfair inequality in Brazil (1995-2009) using a nonparametric approach to estimate the income function. The entropy metrics introduced by Li, Maasoumi and Racine (2009) are used to quantify income differences separately for each effort variable. A Gini coefficient of unfair inequality is calculated, based on the fitted values of the non-parametric estimation; and the robustness of the estimations, including circumstantial variables, is analysed. The trend of the entropies demonstrated a reduction in the income differential caused by education. The variables “hours worked” and “labour-market status” contribute significantly to explaining wage differences imputed to individual effort; but the migratory variable had little explanatory power. Lastly, the robustness analysis demonstrated the plausibility of the results obtained at each stage of the empirical work.

Translation, cultural adaptation to Brazil and validation of the venous leg ulcer quality of life questionnaire (VLU-QoL-Br)

Objetivo:traduzir o instrumento Venous legulcer quality of life questionnaire (VLU-QoL), adaptá-lo culturalmente para o português do Brasil e validá-lo com pacientes do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (FMB) da Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Métodos:o questionário foi traduzido por um tradutor profissional e por dois dermatologistas especialistas na área de úlceras venosas (UV), sendo reformulado em reunião com os três tradutores. O constructo (VLU-QoL-Br) foi submetido a pré-entrevista com 10 portadores de UV para a adaptação da linguagem. Posteriormente, foi aplicado em pacientes do HC-Unesp, e como teste-reteste para verificação de sua reprodutibilidade. Resultados:foram avaliados 82 pacientes, sendo 56 (68%) do sexo feminino. A idade média foi de 67,3 anos. O questionário foi traduzido, adaptado e aplicado aos pacientes. O constructo apresentou alta consistência interna (alfa= 0,94) e adequada correlação item-total. Quando avaliados os 32 retestes, observou-se correlação intraclasse para concordância de 0,78 (p < 0,01), indicando boa reprodutibilidade do constructo. A análise fatorial confirmatória corroborou as dimensões do questionário original: atividades, psicológico e sintomas. Escores do VLU-QoL-Br se associaram, independentemente, à área total das úlceras e a menor escolaridade dos sujeitos (p < 0,01). Conclusão:a tradução, a adaptação e a validação do questionário VLU-Qol-Br demonstrou boa performance psicométrica, permitindo seu uso clínico no Brasil. É importante avaliar seu desempenho em outras regiões e em diferentes amostras de indivíduos.

Sexual abuse and alcohol use among women in metropolitan Sao Paulo, Brazil: a general population study

OBJECTIVE:The present study aimed at estimating the prevalence of lifetime sexual abuse among women and at investigating its association with alcohol consumption.METHOD:Population-based survey conducted through a representative and stratified cluster sample of metropolitan São Paulo. GENACIS questionnaire was used. Sample unit was the home, and all residents aged 18 years and over were interviewed. The outcome was lifetime sexual abuse. The univariate statistical analysis used the Rao-Scott test. Logistic regression was used for the multivariate analysis.RESULTS:The final sample totalized 1,216 women aged 18 years and over; the response rate was 75.0%. Most women were married (56.6%) and had less than 12 years of formal education (59.0%); 46.2% were aged between 25 and 44 years, and 44.4% had a low income. Of the respondents, 7.5% reported having suffered lifetime sexual abuse. Multiple logistic regression model showed an association between lifetime sexual abuse and being a heavy drinker (OR = 4.97) and being a former drinker (OR = 2.04).CONCLUSIONS:There are few population studies in Brazil investigating sexual abuse and its relation to alcohol use. Although the prevalence of lifetime sexual abuse in the present study was smaller than that observed in other studies, it is a highly expressive percentage on account of its social and economic impact, as well as its potential effect on the health system.

Factors associated with the prevalence of hypertension and control practices among elderly residents of São Paulo city, Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of hypertension and control practices among the elderly. The survey analyzed data from 872 elderly people in São Paulo, Brazil, through a cluster sampling, stratified according to education and income. A Poisson multiple regression model checked for the existence of factors associated with hypertension. The prevalence of self-reported hypertension among the elderly was 46.9%. Variables associated with hypertension were self-rated health, alcohol consumption, gender, and hospitalization in the last year, regardless of age. The three most common measures taken to control hypertension, but only rarely, are oral medication, routine salt-free diet and physical activity. Lifestyle and socioeconomic status did not affect the practice of control, but knowledge about the importance of physical activity was higher among those older people with higher education and greater income. The research suggests that health policies that focus on primary care to encourage lifestyle changes among the elderly are necessary.

Skin diseases reported by workers from UNESP campus at Rubiao Jr, Botucatu-SP (Brazil)

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

Attitudes about inclusion by educators and physical educators: Effects of participation in an inclusive adapted physical education program

This study assessed the attitudes about the inclusion of students with disability by professionals in education and health, relative to their experience and training. We compared three groups: 20 teachers and trainees who worked in an adapted physical education program (GI); 75 professionals from the municipal education system of Rio Claro subdivided according to their experience-CGyes e CGno, respectively, with and without experience. We used the inventory adapted by Palla (2001) to assess participants' attitudes and self-concepts. Overall, individuals in the group that participated in the intervention maintained their tendency of being favorable toward inclusion. Teachers in regular school settings in the municipal school system of Rio Claro (Sao Paulo, Brazil), regardless of their experience with inclusive settings, remain mostly indecisive about the benefits of inclusion.

The modern math movement(s): an essay on how elementary school teachers in Brazil gave meaning to it

The main goal of this paper is to discuss the production of meaning of the Modern Math Movement. The main sources were data available in school archives and interviews with former teachers that we use in order to focus on the diversity of perspectives -that complement it or oppose it-, which comes up when teachers refer to the Movement. Using this process of signification, teachers whether accept it, invalidate it or adapt it to guidelines imposed to them in their teaching activities. We establish a methodology by following the premises of Oral History to gather oral testimonies. The theoretical foundations in which this article is written are the guidelines of Paul Ricoeur's Hermeneutics, John Thompson's Depth Hermeneutics and Bolivar's narrative analysis.

Media Education and Brazilian Educational Policies for the Enhancement of Learning

As media education concepts and practices have been disseminated and strengthened in European countries and Americas, the policies responsible for that expansion remain little known, particularly in countries where the achievements have been recently noted. That is the case for Brazil, where there have been new opportunities for media education, considered as a valuable resource to help accomplish goals of the educational system. This paper looks into the contribution of media education to the enhancement of teaching and learning in the context of innovations brought by recent policies of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. After educational reform programmes which brought the opportunity for emerging fields such as media education, we produced teaching material and conducted a series of workshops with students and teachers from state secondary schools. By reading and producing multimedia information about local public services available to young people, pupils learned about democracy, citizenship, civic engagement, media language, and identity. Lessons from our experiment are discussed against the backdrop of education policies being implemented to ameliorate harsh conditions resulting from the recent economic crisis. We suggest that media education can help by creating a learning environment in which the students become aware of the value of educational attainments.

Undergraduate research in medical education: a descriptive study of students' views

Background: Medical students engage in curricular and extracurricular activities, including undergraduate research (UR). The advantages, difficulties and motivations for medical students pursuing research activities during their studies have rarely been addressed. In Brazil, some medical schools have included undergraduate research into their curriculum. The present study aimed to understand the reality of scientific practice among medical students at a well-established Brazilian medical school, analyzing this context from the students' viewpoint.Methods: A cross-sectional survey based on a questionnaire applied to students from years one to six enrolled in an established Brazilian medical school that currently has no curricular UR program.Results: The questionnaire was answered by 415 students, 47.2% of whom were involved in research activities, with greater participation in UR in the second half of the course. Independent of student involvement in research activities, time constraints were cited as the main obstacle to participation. Among students not involved in UR, 91.1% said they favored its inclusion in the curriculum, since this would facilitate the development of such activity. This approach could signify an approximation between the axes of teaching and research. Among students who had completed at least one UR project, 87.7% said they would recommend the activity to students entering the course.Conclusion: Even without an undergraduate research program, students of this medical school report strong involvement in research activities, but discussion of the difficulties inherent in its practice is important to future developments.

Strategies used by the children's education teacher for orientation and mobility of the visually impaired student

This study aims to identify, describe, and analyse strategies used by a teacher to support the mobility of students with visual impairment in various school environments. A female student with visual impairment in Brazil, aged 5 years, and her classroom teacher participated in the study. Their interactions were videotaped, and later, their dialogue and actions were transcribed. Six themes of analysis were elaborated, one for each support strategy used by the teacher. The results revealed that the strategies employed by the teacher often hampered the child’s orientation and mobility. This was probably the result of a lack of assistance by professionals specialised in Orientation and Mobility, as stipulated in Brazilian legislation.

Geoparks in Brazil-strategy of Geoconservation and Development

Within the framework of the potential of geopark development and the interest of the geological community in creating new areas for geoconservation in Brazil, the aim of this contribution is to show the importance of geoscience education as a strategy for both geoconservation and development, and for the success and maintenance of new geoparks. A historical and evolutionary approach to the theme reveals the current status of geoscience education in Brazil and offers a panorama of the challenges inherent in preparing for the creation of new geoconservation areas. Proposals that aim to promote geoconservation and sustainability in Brazil include projects that capitalize on geological heritage and its relationship with local communities, proposals that form partnerships between the government, universities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations for the development of education, and changes in the law specifically aimed at geoconservation. Improvement in the educational system, including Earth science education, is undoubtedly one of the best strategies to promote the preservation of our natural heritage, and a cultural change in education will certainly promote changes in other areas.