Estado atual das bibliotecas digitais no Brasil

O presente capítulo "Estado atual das bibliotecas digitais no Brasil" compõe o livro "Bibliotecas digitais: saberes e práticas", 2ª edição, organizado por Carlos H. Marcondes, Helio Kuramoto, Lidia Brandão Toutain e Luis Sayão.O Brasil possui uma tradição de serviços bibliotecários, funcionando na maioria das cidades de médio e grande porte, que, geralmente, contam com sistemas de automação de bibliotecas (McCARTHY, 1990; McCARTHY; SCHMIDT, 1994; CORTE e outros, 2003). As bibliotecas suportam os programas educacionais, especialmente os de segundo e terceiro graus. Na última década, as bibliotecas digitais tiveram um significativo impacto no setor de biblioteca e informação, notadamente na América do Norte, onde atraíram enorme atenção (CHOWDHUR; CHOWDHURX 1999). O rápido avanço da Internet no Brasil, conforme já apontado no item anterior, e a existência de uma base razoável de bibliotecas automatizadas naturalmente irão redundar na ampliação do número de bibliotecas digitais. No contexto atual, as maiores iniciativas brasileiras se enquadram em quatro categorias: ciência e tecnologia, educação, literatura e humanidades, história e política. Neste capítulo, serão analisados os principais projetos institucionais de bibliotecas digitais

Global perspectives on the provision of diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment: Survey of health care professionals in 41 countries.

AIM: To assess the level of awareness and provision of screening and treatment for Diabetic Eye Disease (DED) comprising Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) among health care professionals. METHODS: The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase consisted of a qualitative study, based on semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews in 8 countries. The second phase used a quantitative approach utilising online surveys in 41 countries. The survey for health care professionals comprised of 43 questions covering provider information, practice characteristics, management of adults with diabetes and specific information from ophthalmologists on screening and treatments for DR. RESULTS: There were 2329 health care professionals who participated in the online survey. More than one third of diabetes specialists surveyed reported that they did not discuss eye care with their diabetes patients. Nearly two-thirds of all health care professionals surveyed reported that they had written information about diabetes for patients available in their practice. Only one in five (22%, n = 58) primary care providers reported they had material that contained sufficient information on eye complications, and 37% (n = 252) of ophthalmologists reported that they had sufficient information on eye complications. Sixty-five percent (n = 378) of ophthalmologists reported that most of their patients presented when visual problems had already occurred. Six percent (n = 36) stated that most of their patients presented when it was already too late for effective treatment. The most substantial barriers to eye health mentioned by health care professionals responding to the survey were: a patients' lack of knowledge and/or awareness about eye complications (43%), followed by lack of importance given to eye examinations by patients (33%), and the high cost of care (32%). Ophthalmologists also reported late screening (66%), and lack of patient education materials (55%) as obstacles for improving eye health outcomes. CONCLUSION: Health care professionals need to be appropriately supported and trained so they can provide adults with diabetes with information about the risks of DR, support them in reducing their risk, and advocate for the provision of affordable DR screening and treatment as required

The importance of Antarctic krill in biogeochemical cycles

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are swarming, oceanic crustaceans, up to two inches long, and best known as prey for whales and penguins – but they have another important role. With their large size, high biomass and daily vertical migrations they transport and transform essential nutrients, stimulate primary productivity and influence the carbon sink. Antarctic krill are also fished by the Southern Ocean’s largest fishery. Yet how krill fishing impacts nutrient fertilisation and the carbon sink in the Southern Ocean is poorly understood. Our synthesis shows fishery management should consider the influential biogeochemical role of both adult and larval Antarctic krill

Comprehensive Genotyping in Two Homogeneous Graves' Disease Samples Reveals Major and Novel HLA Association Alleles

BACKGROUND: Graves' disease (GD) is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism and thyroid eye disease inherited as a complex trait. Although geoepidemiology studies showed relatively higher prevalence of GD in Asians than in Caucasians, previous genetic studies were contradictory concerning whether and/or which human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are associated with GD in Asians. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted a case-control association study (499 unrelated GD cases and 504 controls) and a replication in an independent family sample (419 GD individuals and their 282 relatives in 165 families). To minimize genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, we included only ethnic Chinese Han population in Taiwan and excluded subjects with hypothyroidism. We performed direct and comprehensive genotyping of six classical HLA loci (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DPB1, -DQB1 and -DRB1) to 4-digit resolution. Combining the data of two sample populations, we found that B*46:01 (odds ratio under dominant model [OR]  = 1.33, Bonferroni corrected combined P [P(Bc)]  = 1.17 x 10⁻²), DPB1*05:01 (OR  = 2.34, P(Bc) = 2.58 x 10⁻¹⁰), DQB1*03:02 (OR  = 0.62, P(Bc)  = 1.97 x 10⁻²), DRB1*15:01 (OR  = 1.68, P(Bc) = 1.22 x 10⁻²) and DRB1*16:02 (OR  = 2.63, P(Bc)  = 1.46 x 10⁻⁵) were associated with GD. HLA-DPB1*05:01 is the major gene of GD in our population and singly accounts for 48.4% of population-attributable risk. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These GD-associated alleles we identified in ethnic Chinese Hans, and those identified in other Asian studies, are totally distinct from the known associated alleles in Caucasians. Identification of population-specific association alleles is the critical first step for individualized medicine. Furthermore, comparison between different susceptibility/protective alleles across populations could facilitate generation of novel hypothesis about GD pathophysiology and indicate a new direction for future investigation

The Diabetic Retinopathy Barometer Study: Global perspectives on access to and experiences of diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment.

AIM: To assess the level of awareness, prevention and treatment of Diabetic Eye Disease (DED) comprising Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Diabetic Macula Edema (DME) retinopathy among adults with diabetes and health professionals. METHODS: The Diabetic Retinopathy Barometer Study consisted of a qualitative study, which consisted of semi-structured interviews, and a quantitative study using online surveys for adults with diabetes and for health professionals. RESULTS: A total of 4340 adults with diabetes and 2329 health professionals participated in the surveys. Diabetic eye disease (DED) without macular edema (DME) was reported by 19.5% of adults with diabetes and a further 7.6% reported that they had DME. Although 94% of adults with diabetes saw a health care professional for their diabetes, only 79% had ever had an eye examination for DED, and 23% had not had an eye examination in the last year. Moreover, 65% of the ophthalmologists surveyed reported that most patients presented when visual problems had already occurred. Overall, 62% of people with DED had received treatment. Of these, 74% had laser therapy, 29% surgery and 24% anti-VEGF therapy. CONCLUSION: Strategic investment is required to enhance patient education and professional training on the importance of regular eye examinations; and in providing accessible DR screening programmes and proactive treatments