Influências metodológicas na mensuração de impacto: o caso das Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz e sua "qualificação"

In recent years, the availabity of citation indexes for evaluation of Brazilian scientific production has increased. The comparison between the results of the methodologies used to estimate indicators in the citation reports of SciELO database and in Journal Citation Reports (ISI-Thomson Scientific) made it possible to evaluate implications associated to the Brazilian scientific policy (Qualis), regarding some specific criteria. A period of 10 years was considered, taking into account two bibliometric indicators (the total of citations in a year and the Impact Factor) of the journal Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, which is indexed in both indexes. The correction of the indicators associated to this journal showed that the differences in the citation indexed were more expressive in 2001, having decreased in the last years. This reduction gives credibility to both databases, validating their systems for the production of bibliometric indicators.

Do synergies improve accuracy? A study of speed-accuracy trade-offs during finger force production

We explored possible effects of negative covariation among finger forces in multifinger accurate force production tasks on the classical Fitts's speed-accuracy trade-off. Healthy subjects performed cyclic force changes between pairs of targets ""as quickly and accurately as possible."" Tasks with two force amplitudes and six ratics of force amplitude to target size were performed by each of the four fingers of the right hand and four finger combinations. There was a close to linear relation between movement time and the log-transformed ratio of target amplitude to target size across all finger combinations. There was a close to linear relation between standard deviation of force amplitude and movement time. There were no differences between the performance of either of the two ""radial"" fingers (index and middle) and the multifinger tasks. The ""ulnar"" fingers (little and ring) showed higher indices of variability and longer movement times as compared with both ""radial"" fingers and multifinger combinations. We conclude that potential effects of the negative covariation and also of the task-sharing across a set of fingers are counterbalanced by an increase in individual finger force variability in multifinger tasks as compared with single-finger tasks. The results speak in favor of a feed-forward model of multifinger synergies. They corroborate a hypothesis that multifinger synergies are created not to improve overall accuracy, but to allow the system larger flexibility, for example to deal with unexpected perturbations and concomitant tasks.

Metabolic syndrome and dietary components are associated with coronary artery disease risk score in free-living adults: a cross-sectional study

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is among the main causes of death in developed countries, and diet and lifestyle can influence CAD incidence. Objective: To evaluate the association of coronary artery disease risk score with dietary, anthropometric and biochemical components in adults clinically selected for a lifestyle modification program. Methods: 362 adults (96 men, 266 women, 53.9 +/- 9.4 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria by presenting all the required data. The Framingham score was calculated and the IV Brazilian Guideline on Dyslipidemia and Prevention of Atherosclerosis was adopted for classification of the CAD risks. Anthropometric assessments included waist circumference (WC), body fat and calculated BMI (kg/m(2)) and muscle-mass index (MMI kg/m(2)). Dietary intake was estimated through 24 h dietary recall. Fasting blood was used for biochemical analysis. Metabolic Syndrome (MS) was diagnosed using NCEP-ATPIII (2001) criteria. Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of CAD risks according to the altered components of MS, dietary, anthropometric, and biochemical components. Results: For a sample with a BMI 28.5 +/- 5.0 kg/m(2) the association with lower risk (<10% CAD) were lower age (<60 years old), and plasma values of uric acid. The presence of MS within low, intermediary, and high CAD risk categories was 30.8%, 55.5%, and 69.8%, respectively. The independent risk factors associated with CAD risk score was MS and uric acid, and the protective factors were recommended intake of saturated fat and fiber and muscle mass index. Conclusion: Recommended intake of saturated fat and dietary fiber, together with proper muscle mass, are inversely associated with CAD risk score. On the other hand, the presence of MS and high plasma uric acid are associated with CAD risk score.

An Evaluation of Different Bioreactor Configurations with Immobilized Yeast for Bioethanol Production

The bioethanol industry expects a huge expansion and new technologies are being implemented with the aim of optimizing the fermentation process. The behavior of cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized in PVA-LentiKats, during the production of bioethanol in two reactor systems, was studied. The entrapped cell in LentiKats lenses showed a different profile using stirred tank reactor (STR) and packed column reactor (PCR). Low free cells accumulation in the medium was observed for the STR after 72 h of fermentation. On the other hand, no free cells accumulation was observed, probably due to the absence of mechanical agitation in PCR configuration. Better fermentation results were obtained working with STR (final cellular concentration = 13 g.L-1, Pf = 28 g.L-1, Qp = 1.17 g.L-1.h-1,and Yp/s = 0.3 g.g-1) in comparison to PCR (final cellular concentration = 11.4 g.L-1, Pf = 20 g.L-1, Qp = 0.83 g.L-1.h-1,and Yp/s = 0.25 g.g-1). Such results are probably due to the mechanical agitation of the medium provided by STR configuration, which permitted a better heat and mass transference.

Production of Cellulolytic Enzymes by Anaerobic Fungi Cultivated in Different Conditions

The present paper studies the influence of different nutrients for the production of two cellulolytic enzymes: endo beta-1.4 glucanase and exo beta-1.4 glucanase by anaerobic fungi taken from cow rumen, that were fed a diet of corn silage and Brachiaria decumbens grass hay. During the enzymatic degradation assays, it was observed that the addition of some essential nutrients in the formulation of the culture medium contributed positively in the cellulolytic enzyme production, with exception of riboflavin. Such results contributed in the establishment of an effective method for the evaluation of enzymatic activities in anaerobic fibrolytic fungi. In this work, nutrients added to enrich the culture medium have successfully proven that they can be used as inoculating agents (inductors) in diets rich in ensilage with law nutritive value.

Fermentation of Groundnut Shell Enzymatic Hydrolysate for Fuel Ethanol Production by Free and Sorghum Stalks Immobilized Cells of Pichia stipitis NCIM 3498

Groundnut shell (GS), after separation of pod, is readily available as a potential feedstock for production of fermentable sugars. The substrate was delignified with sodium sulfite. The delignified substrate released 670 mg/g of sugars after enzymatic hydrolysis (50 degrees C, 120 rpm, 50 hrs) using commercial cellulases (Dyadic Xylanase PLUS, Dyadic Inc. USA). The groundnut shell enzymatic hydrolysate (45.6 g/L reducing sugars) was fermented for ethanol production with free and sorghum stalks immobilized cells of Pichia stipitis NCIM 3498 under submerged cultivation conditions. Immobilization of yeast cells on sorghum stalks were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A maximum of ethanol production (17.83 g/L, yield 0.44 g/g and 20.45 g/L, yield 0.47 g/g) was observed with free and immobilized cells of P. stipitis respectively in batch fermentation conditions. Recycling of immobilized cells showed a stable ethanol production (20.45 g/L, yield 0.47 g/g) up to 5 batches followed by a gradual downfall in subsequent cycles.

Safety Assessment of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIM) use in Older People and the Factors Associated with Hospital Admission

Purpose: Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIM) use in elderly people may be responsible for the development of Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) which, when severe, leads to hospital admissions. Objectives: to estimate the prevalence of elderly who had used PIM before being admitted to hospital and to identify the risk factors and the hospitalizations related to ADR arising from PIM. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed in the internal medicine ward of a teaching hospital (Brazil), in 2008. With the aid of a validated form, patients aged >= 60 years, with length of hospital stay >= 24 hours, were interviewed about drugs taken prior to the hospital admission and the complaints/reasons for hospitalization. Results: 19.1% (59/308) of older patients had taken PIM before hospital admission and in 4.9%; there were a causal relation between the PIM taken and the complaint reported. PIM responsible for admissions were: amiodarone, amitriptyline, cimetidine, clonidine, diazepam, digoxin, estrogen, fluoxetine, lorazepam, short-acting nifedipine and propranolol. 47.0% of the clinical manifestations of PIM-related ADR were: dizziness, fatigue, digoxin toxicity and erythema. Only polypharmacy was detected as a risk factor for the occurrence of ADR of PIM (p = 0.02). Conclusion: PIM use in elderly people is not a risk factor for ADR-related hospital admission. Probably, severe ADR, which lead to hospitalizations of older people, can be explained by idiosyncratic response or the predisposition of these patients to develop adverse drug events, whether or not drugs are classed as PIM.

Cooperation, interaction and learning in local production systems: Evidence in Brazilian firms

In a local production system (LPS), besides external economies, the interaction, cooperation, and learning are indicated by the literature as complementary ways of enhancing the LPS's competitiveness and gains. In Brazil, the greater part of LPSs, mostly composed by small enterprises, displays incipient relationships and low levels of interaction and cooperation among their actors. The size of the participating enterprises itself for specificities that engender organizational constraints, which, in turn, can have a considerable impact on their relationships and learning dynamics. For that reason, it is the purpose of this article to present an analysis of interaction, cooperation, and learning relationships among several types of actors pertaining to an LPS in the farming equipment and machinery sector, bearing in mind the specificities of small enterprises. To this end, the fieldwork carried out in this study aimed at: (i) investigating external and internal knowledge sources conducive to learning and (ii) identifying and analyzing motivating and inhibiting factors related to specificities of small enterprises in order to bring the LPS members closer together and increase their cooperation and interaction. Empirical evidence shows that internal aspects of the enterprises, related to management and infrastructure, can have a strong bearing on their joint actions, interaction and learning processes.

Architecture for machining process and production monitoring based in open computer numerical control

This paper proposes an architecture for machining process and production monitoring to be applied in machine tools with open Computer numerical control (CNC). A brief description of the advantages of using open CNC for machining process and production monitoring is presented with an emphasis on the CNC architecture using a personal computer (PC)-based human-machine interface. The proposed architecture uses the CNC data and sensors to gather information about the machining process and production. It allows the development of different levels of monitoring systems with mininium investment, minimum need for sensor installation, and low intrusiveness to the process. Successful examples of the utilization of this architecture in a laboratory environment are briefly described. As a Conclusion, it is shown that a wide range of monitoring solutions can be implemented in production processes using the proposed architecture.

Enzymatic differences between the endophyte Guignardia mangiferae (Botryosphaeriaceae) and the citrus pathogen G. citricarpa

The endophyte Guignardia mangiferae is closely related to G. citricarpa, the causal agent of citrus black spot; for many years these species had been confused with each other. The development of molecular analytical methods has allowed differentiation of the pathogen G. citricarpa from the endophyte G. mangiferae, but the physiological traits associated with pathogenicity were not described. We examined genetic and enzymatic characteristics of Guignardia spp strains; G. citricarpa produces significantly greater amounts of amylases, endoglucanases and pectinases, compared to G. mangiferae, suggesting that these enzymes could be key in the development of citrus black spot. Principal component analysis revealed pectinase production as the main enzymatic characteristic that distinguishes these Guignardia species. We quantified the activities of pectin lyase, pectin methylesterase and endopolygalacturonase; G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae were found to have significantly different pectin lyase and endopolygalacturonase activities. The pathogen G. citricarpa is more effective in pectin degradation. We concluded that there are significant physiological differences between the species G. citricarpa and G. mangiferae that could be associated with differences in pathogenicity for citrus plants.

Genome wide scan for quantitative trait loci affecting tick resistance in cattle (Bos taurus x Bos indicus)

Background : In tropical countries, losses caused by bovine tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus infestation have a tremendous economic impact on cattle production systems. Genetic variation between Bos taurus and Bos indicus to tick resistance and molecular biology tools might allow for the identification of molecular markers linked to resistance traits that could be used as an auxiliary tool in selection programs. The objective of this work was to identify QTL associated with tick resistance/susceptibility in a bovine F2 population derived from the Gyr (Bos indicus) x Holstein (Bos taurus) cross. Results: Through a whole genome scan with microsatellite markers, we were able to map six genomic regions associated with bovine tick resistance. For most QTL, we have found that depending on the tick evaluation season (dry and rainy) different sets of genes could be involved in the resistance mechanism. We identified dry season specific QTL on BTA 2 and 10, rainy season specific QTL on BTA 5, 11 and 27. We also found a highly significant genome wide QTL for both dry and rainy seasons in the central region of BTA 23. Conclusions: The experimental F2 population derived from Gyr x Holstein cross successfully allowed the identification of six highly significant QTL associated with tick resistance in cattle. QTL located on BTA 23 might be related with the bovine histocompatibility complex. Further investigation of these QTL will help to isolate candidate genes involved with tick resistance in cattle.

Chicken skeletal muscle-associated macroarray for gene discovery

Macro- and microarrays are well-established technologies to determine gene functions through repeated measurements of transcript abundance. We constructed a chicken skeletal muscle-associated array based on a muscle-specific EST database, which was used to generate a tissue expression dataset of similar to 4500 chicken genes across 5 adult tissues (skeletal muscle, heart, liver, brain, and skin). Only a small number of ESTs were sufficiently well characterized by BLAST searches to determine their probable cellular functions. Evidence of a particular tissue-characteristic expression can be considered an indication that the transcript is likely to be functionally significant. The skeletal muscle macroarray platform was first used to search for evidence of tissue-specific expression, focusing on the biological function of genes/transcripts, since gene expression profiles generated across tissues were found to be reliable and consistent. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed consistent clustering among genes assigned to 'developmental growth', such as the ontology genes and germ layers. Accuracy of the expression data was supported by comparing information from known transcripts and tissue from which the transcript was derived with macroarray data. Hybridization assays resulted in consistent tissue expression profile, which will be useful to dissect tissue-regulatory networks and to predict functions of novel genes identified after extensive sequencing of the genomes of model organisms. Screening our skeletal-muscle platform using 5 chicken adult tissues allowed us identifying 43 'tissue-specific' transcripts, and 112 co-expressed uncharacterized transcripts with 62 putative motifs. This platform also represents an important tool for functional investigation of novel genes; to determine expression pattern according to developmental stages; to evaluate differences in muscular growth potential between chicken lines, and to identify tissue-specific genes.

Phoretic mites (Acari: Chaetodactylidae) associated with the solitary bee Tetrapedia diversipes (Apidae: Tetrapediini)

Solitary bees of the genus Tetrapedia have a specific association with mites of the genus Roubikia (Chaetodactylidae). These mites are frequently found attached to active Tetrapedia bees. We quantified the number of mites on individuals of Tetrapedia diversipes Klug and examined the interaction between these species. Nests of T. diversipes were obtained from trap-nests placed in four localities in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study lasted from March 2007 to February 2009. Out of a total of 650 nests with emergences, 118 were infested with mites (Roubikia sp.). From these nests, 176 individuals of T. diversipes emerged with mites on their bodies. Additionally, six individuals of Coelioxoides waltheriae, the specific kleptoparasitic bee to T. diversipes, emerged. Mites were attached mainly to the mesosoma. All nests infected with mites did not presented mortality of the immature. The mortality rate of nests was inversely related to the level of mite infestation, suggesting a mutualistic interaction in which mites may remove fungi from the nests, while the bees would provide the mites with transport, dispersal, and shelter.

Plasmodium vivax: Induction of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) Regulatory T Cells during Infection Are Directly Associated with Level of Circulating Parasites

Circulation CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been associated with the delicate balancing between control of overwhelming acute malaria infection and prevention of immune pathology due to disproportionate inflammatory responses to erythrocytic stage of the parasite. While the role of Tregs has been well-documented in murine models and P. falciparum infection, the phenotype and function of Tregs in P. vivax infection is still poorly characterized. In the current study, we demonstrated that patients with acute P. vivax infection presented a significant augmentation of circulating Tregs producing anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and TGF-beta) as well as pro-inflammatory (IFN-gamma, IL-17) cytokines, which was further positively correlated with parasite burden. Surface expression of GITR molecule and intracellular expression of CTLA-4 were significantly upregulated in Tregs from infected donors, presenting also a positive association between either absolute numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+)GITR(+) or CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+)CTLA-4(+) and parasite load. Finally, we demonstrate a suppressive effect of Treg cells in specific T cell proliferative responses of P. vivax infected subjects after antigen stimulation with Pv-AMA-1. Our findings indicate that malaria vivax infection lead to an increased number of activated Treg cells that are highly associated with parasite load, which probably exert an important contribution to the modulation of immune responses during P. vivax infection.

Increased Endothelial Cell-Leukocyte Interaction in Murine Schistosomiasis: Possible Priming of Endothelial Cells by the Disease

Background and Aims: Schistosomiasis is an intravascular parasitic disease associated with inflammation. Endothelial cells control leukocyte transmigration and vascular permeability being modulated by pro-inflammatory mediators. Recent data have shown that endothelial cells primed in vivo in the course of a disease keep the information in culture. Herein, we evaluated the impact of schistosomiasis on endothelial cell-regulated events in vivo and in vitro. Methodology and Principal Findings: The experimental groups consisted of Schistosoma mansoni-infected and age-matched control mice. In vivo infection caused a marked influx of leukocytes and an increased protein leakage in the peritoneal cavity, characterizing an inflamed vascular and cellular profile. In vitro leukocyte-mesenteric endothelial cell adhesion was higher in cultured cells from infected mice as compared to controls, either in the basal condition or after treatment with the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Nitric oxide (NO) donation reduced leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells from control and infected groups; however, in the later group the effect was more pronounced, probably due to a reduced NO production. Inhibition of control endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) increased leukocyte adhesion to a level similar to the one observed in the infected group. Besides, the adhesion of control leukocytes to endothelial cells from infected animals is similar to the result of infected animals, confirming that schistosomiasis alters endothelial cells function. Furthermore, NO production as well as the expression of eNOS were reduced in cultured endothelial cells from infected animals. On the other hand, the expression of its repressor protein, namely caveolin-1, was similar in both control and infected groups. Conclusion/Significance: Schistosomiasis increases vascular permeability and endothelial cell-leukocyte interaction in vivo and in vitro. These effects are partially explained by a reduced eNOS expression. In addition, our data show that the disease primes endothelial cells in vivo, which keep the acquired phenotype in culture.