[almost An Autobiography: A Study Of Social Scientists In Health Based On The Lattes Curriculum].

Among the various ways of adopting the biographical approach, we used the curriculum vitaes (CVs) of Brazilian researchers who work as social scientists in health as our research material. These CVs are part of the Lattes Platform of CNPq - the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, which includes Research and Institutional Directories. We analyzed 238 CVs for this study. The CVs contain, among other things, the following information: professional qualifications, activities and projects, academic production, participation in panels for the evaluation of theses and dissertations, research centers and laboratories and a summarized autobiography. In this work there is a brief review of the importance of autobiography for the social sciences, emphasizing the CV as a form of autobiographical practice. We highlight some results, such as it being a group consisting predominantly of women, graduates in social sciences, anthropology, sociology or political science, with postgraduate degrees. The highest concentration of social scientists is located in Brazil's southern and southeastern regions. In some institutions the main activities of social scientists are as teachers and researchers with great thematic diversity in research.

Phylogenetics, Ancestral State Reconstruction, And A New Infrafamilial Classification Of The Pantropical Ochnaceae (medusagynaceae, Ochnaceae S.str., Quiinaceae) Based On Five Dna Regions.

Ochnaceae s.str. (Malpighiales) are a pantropical family of about 500 species and 27 genera of almost exclusively woody plants. Infrafamilial classification and relationships have been controversial partially due to the lack of a robust phylogenetic framework. Including all genera except Indosinia and Perissocarpa and DNA sequence data for five DNA regions (ITS, matK, ndhF, rbcL, trnL-F), we provide for the first time a nearly complete molecular phylogenetic analysis of Ochnaceae s.l. resolving most of the phylogenetic backbone of the family. Based on this, we present a new classification of Ochnaceae s.l., with Medusagynoideae and Quiinoideae included as subfamilies and the former subfamilies Ochnoideae and Sauvagesioideae recognized at the rank of tribe. Our data support a monophyletic Ochneae, but Sauvagesieae in the traditional circumscription is paraphyletic because Testulea emerges as sister to the rest of Ochnoideae, and the next clade shows Luxemburgia+Philacra as sister group to the remaining Ochnoideae. To avoid paraphyly, we classify Luxemburgieae and Testuleeae as new tribes. The African genus Lophira, which has switched between subfamilies (here tribes) in past classifications, emerges as sister to all other Ochneae. Thus, endosperm-free seeds and ovules with partly to completely united integuments (resulting in an apparently single integument) are characters that unite all members of that tribe. The relationships within its largest clade, Ochnineae (former Ochneae), are poorly resolved, but former Ochninae (Brackenridgea, Ochna) are polyphyletic. Within Sauvagesieae, the genus Sauvagesia in its broad circumscription is polyphyletic as Sauvagesia serrata is sister to a clade of Adenarake, Sauvagesia spp., and three other genera. Within Quiinoideae, in contrast to former phylogenetic hypotheses, Lacunaria and Touroulia form a clade that is sister to Quiina. Bayesian ancestral state reconstructions showed that zygomorphic flowers with adaptations to buzz-pollination (poricidal anthers), a syncarpous gynoecium (a near-apocarpous gynoecium evolved independently in Quiinoideae and Ochninae), numerous ovules, septicidal capsules, and winged seeds with endosperm are the ancestral condition in Ochnoideae. Although in some lineages poricidal anthers were lost secondarily, the evolution of poricidal superstructures secured the maintenance of buzz-pollination in some of these genera, indicating a strong selective pressure on keeping that specialized pollination system.

Can We Predict The Clinical Outcomes Of Genitourinary Trauma Patients And Offer Them An Evidence-based Support? The Case For Telemedicine Network.

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What Is The Best Indication For Single-incision Ophira Mini Sling? Insights From A 2-year Follow-up International Multicentric Study.

The Ophira Mini Sling System involves anchoring a midurethral, low-tension tape to the obturator internus muscles bilaterally at the level of the tendinous arc. Success rates in different subsets of patients are still to be defined. This work aims to identify which factors influence the 2-year outcomes of this treatment. Analysis was based on data from a multicenter study. Endpoints for analysis included objective measurements: 1-h pad-weight (PWT), and cough stress test (CST), and questionnaires: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI)-6. A logistic regression analysis evaluated possible risk factors for failure. In all, 124 female patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) underwent treatment with the Ophira procedure. All patients completed 1 year of follow-up, and 95 complied with the 2-year evaluation. Longitudinal analysis showed no significant differences between results at 1 and 2 years. The 2-year overall objective results were 81 (85.3%) patients dry, six (6.3%) improved, and eight (8.4%) incontinent. A multivariate analysis revealed that previous anti-incontinence surgery was the only factor that significantly influenced surgical outcomes. Two years after treatment, women with previous failed surgeries had an odds ratio (OR) for treatment failure (based on PWT) of 4.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-15.57). The Ophira procedure is an effective option for SUI treatment, with durable good results. Previous surgeries were identified as the only significant risk factor, though previously operated patients showed an acceptable success rate.

Iis--integrated Interactome System: A Web-based Platform For The Annotation, Analysis And Visualization Of Protein-metabolite-gene-drug Interactions By Integrating A Variety Of Data Sources And Tools.

High-throughput screening of physical, genetic and chemical-genetic interactions brings important perspectives in the Systems Biology field, as the analysis of these interactions provides new insights into protein/gene function, cellular metabolic variations and the validation of therapeutic targets and drug design. However, such analysis depends on a pipeline connecting different tools that can automatically integrate data from diverse sources and result in a more comprehensive dataset that can be properly interpreted. We describe here the Integrated Interactome System (IIS), an integrative platform with a web-based interface for the annotation, analysis and visualization of the interaction profiles of proteins/genes, metabolites and drugs of interest. IIS works in four connected modules: (i) Submission module, which receives raw data derived from Sanger sequencing (e.g. two-hybrid system); (ii) Search module, which enables the user to search for the processed reads to be assembled into contigs/singlets, or for lists of proteins/genes, metabolites and drugs of interest, and add them to the project; (iii) Annotation module, which assigns annotations from several databases for the contigs/singlets or lists of proteins/genes, generating tables with automatic annotation that can be manually curated; and (iv) Interactome module, which maps the contigs/singlets or the uploaded lists to entries in our integrated database, building networks that gather novel identified interactions, protein and metabolite expression/concentration levels, subcellular localization and computed topological metrics, GO biological processes and KEGG pathways enrichment. This module generates a XGMML file that can be imported into Cytoscape or be visualized directly on the web. We have developed IIS by the integration of diverse databases following the need of appropriate tools for a systematic analysis of physical, genetic and chemical-genetic interactions. IIS was validated with yeast two-hybrid, proteomics and metabolomics datasets, but it is also extendable to other datasets. IIS is freely available online at: http://www.lge.ibi.unicamp.br/lnbio/IIS/.

Exploring Iris Colour Prediction And Ancestry Inference In Admixed Populations Of South America.

New DNA-based predictive tests for physical characteristics and inference of ancestry are highly informative tools that are being increasingly used in forensic genetic analysis. Two eye colour prediction models: a Bayesian classifier - Snipper and a multinomial logistic regression (MLR) system for the Irisplex assay, have been described for the analysis of unadmixed European populations. Since multiple SNPs in combination contribute in varying degrees to eye colour predictability in Europeans, it is likely that these predictive tests will perform in different ways amongst admixed populations that have European co-ancestry, compared to unadmixed Europeans. In this study we examined 99 individuals from two admixed South American populations comparing eye colour versus ancestry in order to reveal a direct correlation of light eye colour phenotypes with European co-ancestry in admixed individuals. Additionally, eye colour prediction following six prediction models, using varying numbers of SNPs and based on Snipper and MLR, were applied to the study populations. Furthermore, patterns of eye colour prediction have been inferred for a set of publicly available admixed and globally distributed populations from the HGDP-CEPH panel and 1000 Genomes databases with a special emphasis on admixed American populations similar to those of the study samples.

Cluster Analysis To Identify Elderly People's Profiles: A Healthcare Strategy Based On Frailty Characteristics.

The new social panorama resulting from aging of the Brazilian population is leading to significant transformations within healthcare. Through the cluster analysis strategy, it was sought to describe the specific care demands of the elderly population, using frailty components. Cross-sectional study based on reviewing medical records, conducted in the geriatric outpatient clinic, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). Ninety-eight elderly users of this clinic were evaluated using cluster analysis and instruments for assessing their overall geriatric status and frailty characteristics. The variables that most strongly influenced the formation of clusters were age, functional capacities, cognitive capacity, presence of comorbidities and number of medications used. Three main groups of elderly people could be identified: one with good cognitive and functional performance but with high prevalence of comorbidities (mean age 77.9 years, cognitive impairment in 28.6% and mean of 7.4 comorbidities); a second with more advanced age, greater cognitive impairment and greater dependence (mean age 88.5 years old, cognitive impairment in 84.6% and mean of 7.1 comorbidities); and a third younger group with poor cognitive performance and greater number of comorbidities but functionally independent (mean age 78.5 years old, cognitive impairment in 89.6% and mean of 7.4 comorbidities). These data characterize the profile of this population and can be used as the basis for developing efficient strategies aimed at diminishing functional dependence, poor self-rated health and impaired quality of life.

[association Between Physical And Psychosocial Impacts Of Oral Disorders And Quality Of Life Among The Elderly].

This study sought to evaluate the association between the impact of oral disorders in terms of physical/psychosocial dimensions and quality of life among the elderly. It involved a cross-sectional study conducted among the elderly (65-74 years) in 2008/2009. The social impact was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP 14) and the quality of life using the SF 12 Short-Form Health Survey. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate (logistic regression) analysis was conducted with correction for the design effect, using SPSS(r)18.0 software. Of the 800 individuals approached, 736 elderly individuals participated (TR = 92%), with a mean age of 67.77 years, the majority of whom showed no impact based on the measurement of the prevalence of OHIP. The functional limitation dimension of the OHIP was associated with the physical domain of the SF12, irrespective of the other variables investigated. However, the seriousness of OHIP and its psychological discomfort and disability dimensions was associated with the mental domain of the SF12. The conclusion reached is that some impacts of oral disorders were associated with unsatisfactory quality of life in the physical and mental domains.

Ssr-based Genetic Diversity And Structure Of Garlic Accessions From Brazil.

Garlic is a spice and a medicinal plant; hence, there is an increasing interest in 'developing' new varieties with different culinary properties or with high content of nutraceutical compounds. Phenotypic traits and dominant molecular markers are predominantly used to evaluate the genetic diversity of garlic clones. However, 24 SSR markers (codominant) specific for garlic are available in the literature, fostering germplasm researches. In this study, we genotyped 130 garlic accessions from Brazil and abroad using 17 polymorphic SSR markers to assess the genetic diversity and structure. This is the first attempt to evaluate a large set of accessions maintained by Brazilian institutions. A high level of redundancy was detected in the collection (50 % of the accessions represented eight haplotypes). However, non-redundant accessions presented high genetic diversity. We detected on average five alleles per locus, Shannon index of 1.2, HO of 0.5, and HE of 0.6. A core collection was set with 17 accessions, covering 100 % of the alleles with minimum redundancy. Overall FST and D values indicate a strong genetic structure within accessions. Two major groups identified by both model-based (Bayesian approach) and hierarchical clustering (UPGMA dendrogram) techniques were coherent with the classification of accessions according to maturity time (growth cycle): early-late and midseason accessions. Assessing genetic diversity and structure of garlic collections is the first step towards an efficient management and conservation of accessions in genebanks, as well as to advance future genetic studies and improvement of garlic worldwide.

Elevated Micronucleus Frequency In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Dyslipidemia And Periodontitis.

The over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause oxidative damage to a large number of molecules, including DNA, and has been associated with the pathogenesis of several disorders, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia and periodontitis (PD). We hypothesise that the presence of these diseases could proportionally increase the DNA damage. The aim of this study was to assess the micronucleus frequency (MNF), as a biomarker for DNA damage, in individuals with type 2 DM, dyslipidemia and PD. One hundred and fifty patients were divided into five groups based upon diabetic, dyslipidemic and periodontal status (Group 1 - poor controlled DM with dyslipidemia and PD; Group 2 - well-controlled DM with dyslipidemia and PD; Group 3 - without DM with dyslipidemia and PD; Group 4 - without DM, without dyslipidemia and with PD; and Group 5 - without DM, dyslipidemia and PD). Blood analyses were carried out for fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and lipid profile. Periodontal examinations were performed, and venous blood was collected and processed for micronucleus (MN) assay. The frequency of micronuclei was evaluated by cell culture cytokinesis-block MN assay. The general characteristics of each group were described by the mean and standard deviation and the data were submitted to the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Multiple Logistic Regression and Spearman tests. The Groups 1, 2 and 3 were similarly dyslipidemic presenting increased levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Periodontal tissue destruction and local inflammation were significantly more severe in diabetics, particularly in Group 1. Frequency of bi-nucleated cells with MN and MNF, as well as nucleoplasmic bridges, were significantly higher for poor controlled diabetics with dyslipidemia and PD in comparison with those systemically healthy, even after adjusting for age, and considering Bonferroni's correction. Elevated frequency of micronuclei was found in patients affected by type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and PD. This result suggests that these three pathologies occurring simultaneously promote an additional role to produce DNA impairment. In addition, the micronuclei assay was useful as a biomarker for DNA damage in individuals with chronic degenerative diseases.

The Effect Of Poly(methyl Methacrylate) Surface Treatments On The Adhesion Of Silicone-based Resilient Denture Liners.

Different surface treatment protocols of poly(methyl methacrylate) have been proposed to improve the adhesion of silicone-based resilient denture liners to poly(methyl methacrylate) surfaces. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different poly(methyl methacrylate) surface treatments on the adhesion of silicone-based resilient denture liners. Poly(methyl methacrylate) specimens were prepared and divided into 4 treatment groups: no treatment (control), methyl methacrylate for 180 seconds, acetone for 30 seconds, and ethyl acetate for 60 seconds. Poly(methyl methacrylate) disks (30.0 × 5.0 mm; n = 10) were evaluated regarding surface roughness and surface free energy. To evaluate tensile bond strength, the resilient material was applied between 2 treated poly(methyl methacrylate) bars (60.0 × 5.0 × 5.0 mm; n = 20 for each group) to form a 2-mm-thick layer. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA and the Tukey honestly significant difference tests (α = .05). A Pearson correlation test verified the influence of surface properties on tensile bond strength. Failure type was assessed, and the poly(methyl methacrylate) surface treatment modifications were visualized with scanning electron microscopy. The surface roughness was increased (P < .05) by methyl methacrylate treatment. For the acetone and ethyl acetate groups, the surface free energy decreased (P < .05). The tensile bond strength was higher for the methyl methacrylate and ethyl acetate groups (P < .05). No correlation was found regarding surface properties and tensile bond strength. Specimens treated with acetone and methyl methacrylate presented a cleaner surface, whereas the ethyl acetate treatment produced a porous topography. The methyl methacrylate and ethyl acetate surface treatment protocols improved the adhesion of a silicone-based resilient denture liner to poly(methyl methacrylate).

Factors Associated With The Onset Of Hypertension In Women Of 50 Years Of Age Or More In A City In Southeastern Brazil.

To evaluate factors associated with hypertension in Brazilian women of 50 years of age or more. A cross-sectional population based study using self-reports. A total of 622 women were included. The association between sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral factors and the woman's age at the onset of hypertension was evaluated. Data were analyzed according to cumulative continuation rates without hypertension, using the life-table method and considering annual intervals. Next, a Cox multiple regression analysis model was adjusted to analyze the occurrence rates of hypertension according to various predictor variables. Significance level was pre-established at 5% (95% confidence level) and the sampling plan (primary sampling unit) was taken into consideration. Median age at onset of hypertension was 64.3 years. Cumulative continuation rate without hypertension at 90 years was 20%. Higher body mass index (BMI) at 20-30 years of age was associated with a higher cumulative occurrence rate of hypertension over time (coefficient=0.078; p<0.001). Being white was associated with a lower cumulative occurrence rate of hypertension over time (coefficient= -0.439; p=0.003), while smoking >15 cigarettes/day was associated with a higher rate over time (coefficient=0.485; p=0.004). The results of the present study highlight the importance of weight control in young adulthood and of avoiding smoking in preventing hypertension in women aged ≥50 years.

Compact Ag@fe3o4 Core-shell Nanoparticles By Means Of Single-step Thermal Decomposition Reaction.

A temperature pause introduced in a simple single-step thermal decomposition of iron, with the presence of silver seeds formed in the same reaction mixture, gives rise to novel compact heterostructures: brick-like Ag@Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles. This novel method is relatively easy to implement, and could contribute to overcome the challenge of obtaining a multifunctional heteroparticle in which a noble metal is surrounded by magnetite. Structural analyses of the samples show 4 nm silver nanoparticles wrapped within compact cubic external structures of Fe oxide, with curious rectangular shape. The magnetic properties indicate a near superparamagnetic like behavior with a weak hysteresis at room temperature. The value of the anisotropy involved makes these particles candidates to potential applications in nanomedicine.

Equity Of Access To Pap Smears: Population-based Study In Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

To determine the prevalence of the Papanicolaou exam among women aged 20 to 59 years in the city of Campinas (state of São Paulo, Brazil) and to analyze associations between this test and affiliation to private health insurance plans as well as socioeconomic/demographic variables and health-related behavior. To do so, a population-based, cross-sectional study was carried out. Statistical analyses took the study design into account. Despite the significant socioeconomic differences between women with and without private health plans, no differences between these groups were found regarding having been submitted to the Papanicolaou test. In fact no differences were found as to socioeconomic and health variables analyzed. Among all variables analyzed, only marital status was significantly associated with having undergone the test. The Brazilian public health system accounted for 55.7% of the exams. The present findings indicate social equity in the city of Campinas regarding the preventive exam for cervical cancer in the age group studied.

Augmented Mixed Models For Clustered Proportion Data.

Often in biomedical research, we deal with continuous (clustered) proportion responses ranging between zero and one quantifying the disease status of the cluster units. Interestingly, the study population might also consist of relatively disease-free as well as highly diseased subjects, contributing to proportion values in the interval [0, 1]. Regression on a variety of parametric densities with support lying in (0, 1), such as beta regression, can assess important covariate effects. However, they are deemed inappropriate due to the presence of zeros and/or ones. To evade this, we introduce a class of general proportion density, and further augment the probabilities of zero and one to this general proportion density, controlling for the clustering. Our approach is Bayesian and presents a computationally convenient framework amenable to available freeware. Bayesian case-deletion influence diagnostics based on q-divergence measures are automatic from the Markov chain Monte Carlo output. The methodology is illustrated using both simulation studies and application to a real dataset from a clinical periodontology study.