Reflections about Garfield’s algorithm

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the influence of the algorithm used on scholarly search engines (Garfield’s algorithm) and propose metrics to improve it so that science could be based on a more democratic way. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used a snow-ball approach to collect data that allowed identifying the history and the logic behind the Garfield’s algorithm. It follows on excerpting the foundation of existing algorithm and databases of major scholarly search engine. It concluded proposing new metrics so as to surpass restraints and to democratize the scientific discourse. Findings – This paper finds that the studied algorithm currently biases the scientific discourse toward a narrow perspective, while it should take into consideration several researchers’ characteristics. It proposes the substitution of the h-index by the number of times the scholar’s most cited work has been cited. Finally, it proposes that works in languages different than English should be included. Research limitations/implications – The broad comprehension of any phenomena should be based on multiple perspectives; therefore, the inclusion of diverse metrics will extend the scientific discourse. Practical implications – The improvement of the existing algorithm will increase the chances of contact among different cultures, which stimulate rapid progress on the development of knowledge. Originality/value – The value of this paper residesin demonstrating that the algorithm usedin scholarly search engines biases the development of science. If updated as proposed here, science will be unbiased and bias aware

Ecoturismo e Culturas Tradicionais Estudo de Caso: Martim de Sa

Enquanto alguns paises tem o ecoturismo como a sua principal fonte de renda, o Brasil nao explora a atividade de forma planejada, o que resulta, muitas vezes, na degradacao do meio ambiente e na descaracterizacao da diversidade cultural local. Assim sendo, este estudo pretende contribuir para a compreensao do processo de adaptacao de uma comunidade tradicional ao fenomeno do ecoturismo e dar um alerta para a necessidade de considerar a identidade cultural das populacoes locais como bem patrimonial e como elemento de risco no planejamento da atividade. Com esse intuito, foi realizado um Estudo de Caso, durante os anos de 2000 e 2001, com uma familia residente na praia de Martim de Sa, caracterizada como caicara. Essa comunidade foi escolhida, pois reside em um local onde o ecoturismo esta apenas comecando, fato que permitiu refletir a respeito das consequencias da atividade. Martim de Sa, apesar de estar inserida nos limites de duas Unidades de Conservacao da Natureza, esta sobre forte ameaca de degradacao ambiental devido a especulacao imobiliaria incentivada pelo crescimento do fluxo turistico sem planejamento e facilitado pela falta de fiscalizacao dos orgaos ambientais responsaveis por essas areas. Para o desenvolvimento do Estudo de Caso foram utilizadas nesta pesquisa a Observacao Participante e as entrevistas estruturadas com a finalidade de caracterizar a comunidade local e os turistas e, a Historia de Vida, para a reconstituicao da historia do nucleo receptor

The furniture sector of Duque de Caxias and its potential to serve as a local productive arrangement O Setor moveleiro do município de duque de caxias e o seu potencial para constituir um arranjo produtivo local

According with SEBRAE (2013), there are 6.1 million micro and small enterprises in activity in Brazil. They represent 99% of Brazilian companies and gather 2.8 million of formal micro entrepreneurs, which generates 14.7 million formal jobs, contributing with 25% of the Brazilian GDP. After a theoretical review of Brazilian scientific work on local clusters organization, the advantages and challenges associated with this type of local arrangement were established. These data were then used to build questionnaires aiming to diagnose the potential that a set of micro, small and medium companies of a given productive sector, located in a limited geographic area has to constitute a Local Productive Arrangement - APL. These questionnaires were applied in a group of furniture companies in the City of Duque de Caxias, RJ. The analysis of the collected information allows characterizing the companies of the studied group in size, life time, type of contract being used, sectors that constitute them, developed training activities, qualification of human resources, production, cooperation, innovation capacities as well as their position in the market. With these data it is possible to conclude on the potentiality of the group or part of it to constitute an APL

Plan de formación inicial en habilidades docentes para el profesorado de la Facultad de Educación

Memoria ID-0088. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2017-2018

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

Innovaciones y mejoras en el proyecto tutoría entre compañeros. Curso 2015-2016

Memoria ID-0137. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2015-2016

A Simple Mathematical Model for the Effects of the Growth of Tourism on Environment

While many authors have discussed the evolution of tourism flow, few are concerned with how tourism flow starts to evolve and the mechanism behind that evolution. The purpose of this work is to propose a mathematical model that may assist understanding of the mechanism. Assuming basic relationships between the resources, number of visitors and their respective rates of growth, we derive a model defined by two Ordinary Differential Equations whose solutions describe the evolution of both variables in time. As a study case for the model, we use data collected at the Juatinga Ecological Reserve, 23.2o S, 44.5o W , in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We conclude that the model fits the data well and the values that can be obtained for the parameters characterize qualitatively the type of visitors

Correction: In the race for knowledge, is human capital the most essential element?

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

Diagnosticando a viabilidade da instalação de um arranjo produtivo local para o turismo

Several experiences demonstrated the potential of regional development associated with the installation of local clusters constituted by micro, small and medium enterprises, which are of vital importance in the Brazilian´s economy. This work has theoretical and descriptive natures. After a brief review of the Brazilian and International technical publications on the subject, a procedure, based on the Balanced Scorecard as presented by Kaplan & Norton (1997) is proposed. This procedure is composed of six groups of factors. These factors, or internal process indicators are useful to diagnose the potential of groups of micro, small and medium enterprises to compose a Local Production Arrangement for tourism. The results obtained from the application of this procedure, allow concluding about which enterprises qualify to constitute an inicial cluster and about individual organizations’ weakness and strengths. That is, it allows to detect and inicial sub-group as the candidate to constitute an incipient Local Production Arrangement that, could later include all other enterprises interested in doing so.Diversas experiências vêm demonstrando o potencial de desenvolvimento regional associado à instalação de Arranjos Produtivos Locais - APLs constituídos por micro, pequenas e médias empresas que exercem vital importância na economia do Brasil. O presente trabalho tem cunho teórico e descritivo. Após revisão do referencial teórico brasileiro e internacional sobre APLs, é proposto um procedimento para verificar quais dentre um conjunto de empresas próximas, do ramo de turismo e interessadas em constituir um APL, de fato podem o fazer. Este procedimento está embasado no Balanced Score Card como proposto por Kaplan & Norton (1997) e é composto por seis grupos de fatores. Estes fatores nada mais são do que indicadores dos processos internos das empresas. O resultado da aplicação deste procedimento permitirá concluir quais das empresas consideradas se qualificam para constituir um APL inicial e, ainda, permitirá apontar os pontos fracos e as potencialidades individuais. Possibilita assim, detectar um sub-grupo do grupo inicial de empresas como candidato a formar um APL incipiente que, no decorrer do tempo poderá vir incluir demais empresas interessadas