Dia Contra o Cigarro WHO

Universidades voltadas para soluções

Will Think Tanks Become The Universities Of The 21st Century? - Forbes

QI alto está relacionado a capacidade de manter a atenção

Intelligence linked to ability to ignore distractions

All in the mind: blocking out background distractions is a feature of people with higher IQs, the Rochester test showed

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People with higher IQs are slow to detect large background movements because their brains filter out non-essential information, say US researchers.

Instead, they are good at detecting small moving objects.

The findings come in a study of 53 people given a simple, visual test inCurrent Biology.

The results could help scientists understand what makes a brain more efficient and more intelligent.

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“Start Quote

We expected that all participants would be worse at detecting the movement of large images, but high IQ individuals were much, much worse...”

Michael MelnickUniversity of Rochester

In the study, individuals watched short video clips of black and white bars moving across a computer screen. Some clips were small and filled only the centre of the screen, while others filled the whole screen.

The participants' sole task was to identify in which direction the bars were drifting - to the right or to the left.

Participants also took a standardised intelligence test.

The results showed that people with higher IQ scores were faster at noticing the movement of the bars when observing the smallest image - but they were slower at detecting movement in the larger images.

Michael Melnick of the University of Rochester, who was part of the research team said the results were very clear.

"From previous research, we expected that all participants would be worse at detecting the movement of large images, but high IQ individuals were much, much worse.

The authors explain that in most scenarios, background movement is less important than small moving objects in the foreground, for example driving a car, walking down a hall or moving your eyes across the room.

People with higher IQs appear to be able to concentrate better

As a person's IQ increases, so too does his or her ability to filter out distracting background motion and concentrate on the foreground.

In an initial study on 12 people, there was a 64% correlation between motion suppression and IQ scores. In this larger study on 53 people, a 71% correlation was found.

In contrast, previous research on the link between intelligence and reaction times, colour discrimination and sensitivity to pitch found only a 20-40% correlation.

But the ability to ignore background movements is not the only indicator of intelligence.

"Because intelligence is such a broad construct, you can't really track it back to one part of the brain," says Duje Tadin, who also worked on the study.

"But since this task is so simple and so closely linked to IQ, it may give us clues about what makes a brain more efficient, and, consequently, more intelligent.

"We know from prior research which parts of the brain are involved in visual suppression of background motion.

"This new link to intelligence provides a good target for looking at what is different about the neural processing, what's different about the neurochemistry, what's different about the neurotransmitters of people with different IQs."

UFMG se destaca entre as Universidades

UFMG se torna centro de excelência com investimentos em pesquisa e inovação

PAULO PEIXOTO
DE BELO HORIZONTE

Ancorada em cursos de graduação e pós-graduação bem avaliados, a UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) se tornou um centro de excelência universitária com a realização de investimentos em pesquisa, tecnologia e inovação.
Para alcançar os melhores postos de classificação em indicadores de qualidade, como o internacional QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) e o Enade (avaliação do ensino superior), a universidade investe fortemente também em parcerias, públicas e privadas.
Esse trabalho resulta, por exemplo, no número de patentes depositadas no INPI (Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial), ficando atrás apenas da USP. Até 2012, eram 530 --sendo 75 no ano passado e outras 75 em 2011.
A universidade tem quase cem contratos de transferência de tecnologia assinados com empresas nacionais e internacionais.
"A Google está em BH porque foi transferido know-how da UFMG para ela", disse o reitor Clélio Campolina.
"Fazemos grande esforço de pesquisa, captando apoios de instituições de fomento: CNPq, Capes, Fapemig, Finep. Fazemos muitos contratos com empresas --como Petrobras, Cemig e Embraer. São pesquisas que estão sendo desenvolvidas dentro da UFMG", completou.
Novos passos estão sendo dados. O reitor cita a construção de um centro de transferência de tecnologia, que deverá estar concluído em 15 meses, além da criação de uma fundação de apoio e desenvolvimento à pesquisa.
A "Fundep S/A" dará mais autonomia gerencial e captará recursos com instituições de fomento. "BNDES, Finep, BDMG e Sebrae vão colocar recursos para a UFMG investir em empreendimentos de alta tecnologia", disse.
O investimento em infraestrutura é grande, segundo o reitor. A UFMG possui, por exemplo, um centro de microscopia eletrônico que virou referência nacional.
Para Campolina, todo esse investimento em pesquisa e tecnologia não teria sentido se não houvesse investimento nos alunos e professores.
"Depois da USP, a UFMG foi a universidade que mais mandou alunos de graduação para o exterior pelo Ciência sem Fronteira neste semestre: quase mil", disse.
Dos quase 3.000 professores, 85% têm doutorado. Na última avaliação da Capes, 25 de 58 programas de pós-graduação foram classificados no padrão de "excelência internacional" --atualmente são 62.

Artigo do The Guardian - revela que Inglaterra está diminuindo investimento em C&T e isso vai ter impacto em seu desenvolvimento Econômico. Sra Presidenta Dilma leia esse artigo

UK science is falling behind in the global race

With the government's spending review looming, the Royal Society of Chemistry is calling for an Olympic effort to persuade politicians to make a long-term commitment to creating growth and jobs through science

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The UK has a reputation for outstanding performance in science. But we're in danger of sliding down the medals table. Photograph: Dan Chung/Guardian

When it comes to Olympic sport, the UK is a small nation making a big impact. Last year's games saw us finish third in the medals table, behind only the United States and China and ahead of Russia, despite our comparatively small population.

The UK has a record of punching above its weight in science too. Combining public and private funding, the UK's spending on R&D is only 3% of the global total. Yet we are home to 4% of the world's researchers and we contribute to 6% of published papers.

But we are in danger of sliding down the scientific medals table. For many years now, UK science funding has been falling compared with other nations, and it is now well below key international competitors including the United States, China and Germany.

Why should this matter if you aren't a scientist?

Science is an important driver of economic growth. According to a report published by Nesta, 63% of UK growth between 2000 and 2008 was due to innovation. Government figures show that the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors alone made up 1.9% of gross value added to the UK economy in 2011 (reaching £27bn), and the newly flourishing biotech industry is predicted to contribute £4-12bn by 2025.

This growth engine is at risk if the decline in science spending isn't reversed. Already, the UK spends only 1.76% of GDP on R&D, versus a G8 average of 2.1%, with fast-growing countries investing even more – such as 3.74% in South Korea.

Government funding is essential to achieving a turnaround. The public purse will always be limited, and private sector investment must be maximised. But OECD data shows that across the world business R&D investment is strongly linked to input from government. (Change the y-axis on this graph from the OECD to "BERD" to see a correlation between public R&D expenditure and business R&D expenditure, based on these data.)

UK government investment is notably lagging behind our competitors, at below 0.6% of GDP compared with a G8 average of 0.8% and an EU average of 0.7% (this is all very nicely shown over at scienceogram in case you're interested).

There is little hope of a real upswing in government funding soon. The government's 2010 spending review saw a cash freeze for science, but in real terms this meant a cut of more than 10%. The government will announce the science budget for 2015/2016 on 26 June. But with departments being asked to find budget reductions of 10% on top of current plans, it seems unlikely that science will do much better this time around.

So how can we prevent the UK's scientific lead slipping away?

First, we need the government to make a long-term commitment to supporting science. We need to give businesses looking to invest in the UK and researchers planning to work here a sense of security in ourresearch ecosystem. Science is Vital is calling for a goal to meet the G8 average of 0.8% of GDP spent on government science funding. This is a fantastic goal to aim for, but even with a change of course it is at least 10 years away.

A realistic goal to reach by the end of the next parliament, in 2020, might be to raise UK science spending to 0.7% of GDP, the current EU average. This is not an insignificant rise – it would take political conviction – but it is not impossible. It would require a 3% year-on-year increase in spending relative to GDP.

Second, in the short term we need to limit the damage to the UK's research base so that it is poised to grow again when resources return. The Royal Society of Chemistry is urging the government to continue to fund science at 2010 levels in this spending review, including returning the capital budget to this level.

Making science work for the economy isn't all about funding. We need to consolidate the UK's variety of innovation support mechanisms to better convert research into growth. And we need to ensure that people have the skills to take up the jobs created by science and innovation, by supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education and experience at all levels.

But none of this can happen if we don't unite to demand a well-funded research base to build on. It's true that times are tough, but we all know that cutting funding for research is a false economy. The Royal Society of Chemistry's members are working with their MPs to raise the profile of this issue, and the whole scientific community can get involved: sign Science is Vital's petition, write or talk to your MP; and play your part in making the UK a world champion in science and innovation.

Infecção pelo Coronavirus Alerta OMS - 8 de Maio de 2013

Novel coronavirus summary and literature update – as of 8 May 2013

As of 8 May 2013, 30 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with novel coronavirus (nCoV) have been reported to WHO: two from Jordan, two from Qatar, 23 cases from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Kingdom (UK), and one from the United Arab Emirates. Most patients are male (79.3%; 23 of 29 cases with sex reported) and range in age from 24 to 94 years (median 56 years). The first cases had onset of illness in late March or early April 2012; the most recent cases reported had onset on 1 May 2013 (13 cases with onset 14 April - 1 May 2013). Most patients presented with severe acute respiratory disease requiring hospitalization and eventually required mechanical ventilation or other advanced respiratory support. Eighteen patients have died.

Several cases have occurred in clusters, including in a health care setting in Jordan in April 2012 (of 2 confirmed and 11 probable cases, 10 were health care workers) and in the UK among family members of an infected patient who had recently arrived from Saudi Arabia. The Jordanian outbreak illustrated the potential of this virus to spread through health care facilities and the UK outbreak confirmed the potential of the virus to transmit between humans with close contact. In neither instance did transmission appear to go beyond the immediate outbreak into the community.

Since 14 April 2013, 13 new cases of infection have been confirmed and reported in Saudi Arabia (10 males and 3 females, median age 58 years). Seven of these have died, four remain critically ill in intensive care and two are hospitalized but clinically improved. All patients were reported to have at least one comorbid medical condition and most had more than one. Most of the cases were patients at a single health care facility. Two were family members of two patients from that facility; no health care workers have been affected. Although investigations are still ongoing into the source of this outbreak, early information indicated that only a small minority of these cases had contact with animals in the time leading up to their illness.

Five viruses from the United Kingdom (n=2), Saudi Arabia (n=1), Jordan (n=1), and Germany (n=1) have been cultured and genome sequences have been made publicly available. No sequence data are yet available from the latest cluster. All five of the sequenced viruses have a high degree of genetic similarity. Preliminary analyses show that the viruses are genetically somewhat similar to bat viruses. It should be noted, however, that the similarity does not necessarily imply that bats are the reservoir for the human virus or that direct exposure to bats or bat excreta were responsible for infection. The nCoV itself has not yet been found in an animal.

An international network of clinical experts has been convened to discuss therapeutic options. It concluded that in the absence of clinical evidence for disease-specific interventions, convalescent plasma is the most promising therapy. A memo containing advice for setting up international or regional serum centers, to obtain and share convalescent plasma, has been circulated by WHO to ministries of health in affected countries. WHO and the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium have developed and shared a set of research protocols and case report forms to help clinical investigators establish studies of pathogenesis and pharmacology. These are available athttp://www.prognosis.org/isaric/.

WHO has developed interim guidance document Infection prevention and control during health care for probable or confirmed cases of nCoV infection. The recommendations have been reviewed by members of the WHO Global Infection Prevention and Control Network (GIPCN) and other international experts. The interim guidance document is available at:http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/IPCnCoVguidance_06May13.pdf.

Recent peer-reviewed papers published since the last update

The United States of America’s National Institutes of Health has found that a combination of two licensed antiviral drugs, ribavirin and interferon-alpha 2b, can inhibit replication of the virus in cell cultures. Reference: Falzarano et al. Inhibition of novel human coronavirus-EMC replication by a combination of interferon-alpha2b and ribavirin. Scientific Reports 2013, doi: 10.1038/srep01686.

Areas of ongoing research and epidemiological investigation

There a number of areas of ongoing research related to nCoV, including:

• Further development of nCoV serologic assays using known and novel approaches. Defining the serological response to different viral proteins and the kinetics of antibody response.
• Further development of PCR-based diagnostic tests to verify acutely nCoV-infected persons .
• Work related to the binding sites of the virus and the pathogenic potential of nCoV in human respiratory tissues.
• Pathogenesis and testing of intervention strategies in animal models, including antiviral medications and candidate vaccines.
• Studies of the response of human lung cells in culture to nCoV.
• Further work evaluating genetic sequences as viral isolates become available to better understand the evolution of the virus, its relationship to other coronaviruses, and to identify any adaptive mutations in the viral genome.
• Contact testing of individuals, including health care workers, exposed to known cases to determine transmissibility.
• Testing samples from patients with severe acute respiratory infections from the affected region.
• Field work to determine the presumed animal reservoir of the virus.

Summary

The reappearance of this virus and the pattern of transmission currently being observed in Saudi Arabia increase the level of concern regarding this novel pathogen. The questions of the exposures that result in human infection, the mode of transmission, the source of the virus, and the extent of infection in the community urgently need to be answered and are being actively pursued by the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia. The association of this outbreak with a single health care facility suggests nosocomial transmission. The patients may have had increased susceptibility to infection or severe disease because of their multiple comorbidities. However, the presence of infection in two family members not associated with the facility itself raises a concern about potential broader transmission in the community. Some features of the cases, such as the predominance of males and the age distribution among confirmed cases, may provide important clues to exposures. In addition to the key epidemiological questions, more work is needed to determine the optimal management strategy for patients infected with nCoV and to evaluate potential pharmaceutical interventions.

Evidence suggests that the virus may have its origin in bat species, though the evidence is largely circumstantial and will remain so until the virus is demonstrated in an animal species. However, experience with Nipah virus in Malaysia and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China both illustrate that intermediate hosts may sometimes play an important role in transmission to humans and that direct exposure to reservoir specie(s) is not needed for infection. Therefore, the work to identify the source, the exposure and the mode of transmission should be multisectoral and involve veterinary services, food safety authorities, environmental health agencies in addition to public health authorities.

Vigilance and enhanced surveillance are needed within the affected area and for unusual clusters of respiratory disease in the rest of the world, particularly clusters associated with health care environments. WHO requests that confirmed and probable cases be reported within 24 hours of being classified as such, through the regional Contact Point for International Health Regulations at the appropriate WHO Regional Office.

Brasil aumenta produção científica

Brasil cresce em produção científica, mas índice de qualidade cai
SABINE RIGHETTI
DE SÃO PAULO

A produção científica brasileira, medida pela quantidade de trabalhos acadêmicos publicados em periódicos especializados, está em ascensão. Mas a qualidade dos trabalhos não acompanha o ritmo.

O cenário foi encontrado em informações tabuladas pela Folha a partir da base aberta de dados Scimago (alimentada pela plataforma Scopus, da editora de revistas científicas Elsevier). Ela traz números da produção científica de 238 países.

Volume de publicação é critério para distribuir recursos a pesquisadores
Análise: Internacionalização é desafio para melhorar qualidade da ciência nacional

De 2001 para 2011, o Brasil subiu de 17º lugar mundial na quantidade de artigos publicados para 13º --uma conquista que costuma ser comemorada em congressos científicos do país.

Em 2011, os pesquisadores brasileiros publicaram 49.664 artigos. O número é equivalente a 3,5 vezes a produção de 2001 (13.846 trabalhos).

O problema é que a qualidade dos trabalhos científicos, medida, por exemplo, pelo número de vezes que cada estudo foi citado por outros cientistas (o chamado "impacto"), despencou.

O Brasil passou de 31º lugar mundial para 40º. China e Rússia, por outro lado, ganharam casas no ranking de qualidade nesse período.

Editoria de arte/Folhapress

MAIS BRASILEIROS

Segundo especialistas ouvidos pela Folha, um dos motivos do salto de produção com queda de qualidade foi o aumento do número de periódicos brasileiros listados nas bases de dados: de 62 para 270 em dez anos.

"Isso aconteceu por causa de uma política de abertura para revistas científicas nacionais de países como Brasil, China e Índia", explica o cienciometrista da USP Rogério Meneghini, coordenador da base Scielo, que reúne 306 periódicos brasileiros.

O problema é que os trabalhos de periódicos científicos brasileiros têm pouco impacto. Apenas 16 dessas revistas receberam, em 2011, uma ou mais citações por artigo. Para ter uma ideia, cada artigo da revista britânica "Nature" recebeu cerca de 36 citações.

O maior impacto entre os periódicos nacionais é igual a 2,15, da revista "Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz".

"Cerca de 45% dos trabalhos científicos que recebemos são de autores estrangeiros", conta Francisco José Ferreira da Silva Neto, do corpo executivo do periódico.

Mas não são apenas os periódicos nacionais que derrubam o impacto da ciência brasileira no mundo.

"A política atual de ensino superior no Brasil pressiona para que os pesquisadores publiquem mais e para que publiquem de qualquer jeito", diz o biólogo Marcelo Hermes-Lima, da UnB (Universidade de Brasília).

SALAME

Cientistas brasileiros acabam desmembrando trabalhos parrudos em artigos com menos impacto, fenômeno conhecido como "salame".

"Cada descoberta é fatiada e publicada separadamente", explica Fernando Reinach, biólogo que deixou a academia e agora está na iniciativa privada. "O número de trabalhos aumenta, as descobertas ficam semelhantes e o impacto diminui."

As contradições do sistema de saúde americano

The health paradox http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21577378-americas-rampant-health-spending-threatens-its-economic-future-it-also-supports-tens

Fast New Test Could Find Leprosy Before Damage Is Lasting - NYTimes.com

Fast New Test Could Find Leprosy Before Damage Is Lasting 

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

Published: February 19, 2013 

A simple, fast and inexpensive new test for leprosy offers hope that, even in the poorest countries, victims can be found and cured before they become permanently disabled or disfigured like the shunned lepers of yore.

American researchers developed the test, and Brazil’s drug-regulatory agency registered it last month. A Brazilian diagnostics company, OrangeLife, will manufacture it on the understanding that the price will be $1 or less.

“This will bring leprosy management out of the Dark Ages,” said Dr. William Levis, who has treated leprosy patients at a Bellevue Hospital outpatient clinic for 30 years.

Many consider leprosy, formally called Hansen’s disease , a relic of the past, but annually about 250,000 people worldwide get it; Brazil is among the hardest-hit countries, as are India, the Philippines, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United States has 150 to 250 new diagnoses each year, mostly in immigrants. Leprosy is curable, so better detection may mean that someday it could join the short list of ailments, likepolio and Guinea worm disease , on the brink of eradication, experts say.

The new test gives results in under 10 minutes and is far simpler than the current diagnostic method of cutting open nodules, often in the earlobe, and looking for the bacteria under a microscope.

“It works like a pregnancy test and requires just one drop of blood,” said Malcolm S. Duthie, who led the test’s development at the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle. “I can teach anyone to use it.”

Even more important, he said, it is expected to detect infections as much as a year before symptoms appear. And the earlier treatment begins, the better the outcome. Leprosy is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae, related to the one that causes tuberculosis, but reproducing so slowly that symptoms often take seven years to appear.

“We’re definitely excited about this,” said Bill Simmons, president of theAmerican Leprosy Missions , a Christian medical aid group that has been fighting the disease since 1906.

Dr. Levis said that if the test eventually became available in this country he would use it to test the families of his Bellevue patients.

M. leprae is transmitted only after prolonged, close contact. The bacteria spread under the skin in the coolest parts of the body: the hands, feet, cheeks and earlobes.

The first visible signs are usually numb, off-color patches of skin, which are often misdiagnosed as fungus, psoriasis or lupus .

The victim may get repeated cooking burns or cuts. Feet develop sores from something as simple as a stone they cannot feel in a shoe.

“Finally, when it gets bad enough,” Mr. Simmons said, “they go to a big city.And that’s where they get the bad news: ‘Yes, you have leprosy — and we wish you’d come here six months ago.’ ”

After about six months, the nerve damage is permanent. So even if a patient is cured — and a cure normally requires taking three kinds of antibiotics for six to 12 months — there is still a lifelong risk of developing ulcers that can become infected. The standard antibiotics are provided free through the World Health Organization.

The disease has historically been hard to diagnose, despite the popular, but inaccurate, image of fingers and toes dropping off victims. As the bacteria kill nerves, muscles atrophy and those digits curl into claws. After disuse and repeated injuries, the body reacts protectively by absorbing the bone calciumin the bones, shrinking the digits.

For centuries, some observant doctors have noticed early signs: the numb skin patches, missing eyebrows, drooping earlobes, bulging neck nerves, the flat “lion face” caused by nasal cartilage dissolving.

Since nothing could be done for them before the age of antibiotics, victims lost the use of their hands and had to beg. Some also went blind as the blinking muscles degenerated and their eyes dried out. In the Middle Ages, some towns banned lepers, while others required them to ring bells to warn of their approach. Religious charities created “leper colonies.”

And they still exist, even in the United States. A few elderly residents have chosen to stay on in Carville, La., and Kalaupapa , Hawaii, despite having been cured. Several thousand live at one in northeast Brazil, said John S. Spencer, a leprosy researcher at Colorado State University who has worked there. “People say things like ‘People outside won’t understand what’s wrong with my face,’ ” he said.

Nowadays, he said, most patients are cured before their faces are severely disfigured. Still, he said, he had read a survey in which health experts asked Brazilians whether they would rather have the human immunodeficiency virus or leprosy. Most chose H.I.V. — even though leprosy does not kill, can be cured, and does not make a victim risky to have sex with. “The stigma is that strong,” he said.

A new test was crucial because trained microscope diagnosticians are rare in the rural areas where the disease persists. It is simple: one drop of blood goes into a well on a plastic test strip followed by three drops of solution.

It took a long time to develop, Dr. Spencer said, because researchers needed a steady supply of the bacterium, and no way to grow it in a laboratory has ever been found.

It grows vigorously in one animal: the armadillo, a fact discovered only in the 1970s at a federal laboratory in Baton Rouge, La. But armadillos come with their own complications. After a year of harboring the slow-growing bacteria, they must be killed for their livers and spleens — and armadillos do not breed in captivity.

“Luckily,” Dr Duthie said, in Louisiana and Texas, “they’re everywhere, and they’re easy to catch.”

However, armadillo hunting is not risk-free. Some Southerners hunt them for food and their armored skins, and some wild armadillos harbor strains of leprosy bacteria. Two years ago, federal researchers estimated that about a third of the human cases discovered in the United States each year are caught from armadillos — which have the honor of being one of the state mammals of Texas.

 

Fast New Test Could Find Leprosy Before Damage Is Lasting - NYTimes.com:

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