Qualidade de artigos científicos

The paper discusses the difficulties in judging the quality of scientific manuscripts and describes some common pitfalls that should be avoided when preparing a paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Peer review is an imperfect system, with less than optimal reliability and uncertain validity. However, as it is likely that it will remain as the principal process of screening papers for publication, authors should avoid some common mistakes when preparing a report based on empirical findings of human research. Among these are: excessively long abstracts, extensive use of abbreviations, failure to report results of parsimonious data analyses, and misinterpretation of statistical associations identified in observational studies as causal. Another common problem in many manuscripts is their excessive length, which makes them more difficult to be evaluated or read by the intended readers, if published. The evaluation of papers after their publication with a view towards their inclusion in a systematic review is also discussed. The limitations of the impact factor as a criterion to judge the quality of a paper are reviewed.O artigo discute as dificuldades em julgar a qualidade de manuscritos científicos e descreve algumas das armadilhas comuns que devem ser evitadas ao preparar um artigo para submissão a um periódico. A revisão por pares é um sistema imperfeito, com confiabilidade abaixo da ideal e validade duvidosa. Entretanto, como provavelmente continuará sendo o principal processo de seleção de artigos para publicação, os autores devem evitar alguns erros ao preparar um manuscrito baseado em achados empíricos da pesquisa humana. Entre eles estão: resumos excessivamente longos, amplo uso de abreviações, falha ao relatar resultados de análise de dados parcimoniosa, e interpretação equivocada de associações estatísticas encontradas em estudos observacionais como sendo causais. Outro problema comum em muitos manuscritos é sua excessiva extensão, o que os torna mais difíceis de serem avaliados ou lidos por leitores-alvo, se publicados. Discute-se a avaliação de artigos após sua publicação e inclusão em revisão sistemática. São revisadas as limitações do fator de impacto como um critério para julgar a qualidade de um artigo

Are Residents\u27 Extended Shifts Associated with Adverse Events

First paragraph: Heated debates and controversies surrounding the regulation of medical residents’ work hours have raged for over twenty years. In the wake of Libby Zion’s untimely death in 1984 and resulting recommendations by the Bell Commission, New York State enacted legislation (Code 405.4) governing residents’ working conditions and supervision [1]. Since then, there has been growing interest in regulating residents’ work hours, culminating recently (2003–2004) in national guidelines and legislation on duty-hour restrictions both in the United States and Europe [2,3]

Risk Factors for Workplace Encounters with Weapons by Hospital Employees

Objective:The specific aim of this study was to determine which risk factors were associated with frequent weapons confiscation in a healthcare facility. This study investigated the hypothesis that hospital-related factors impact the frequency of weapons confiscation. Study design:Cross-sectional. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was administered on-line to hospital security directors and assessed the associations of organizational factors with the frequency of weapons confiscation. Results:It was found that hospitals with metal detectors were more than 5 times as likely to frequently confiscate weapons, suggesting this intervention is effective. It was also found that hospitals with psychiatric units were more likely to have frequent confiscation of weapons, likely due to the standard procedure of searching patients before admission to the psychiatric unit. Conclusion:This data suggests that searching patients and using metal detectors are important tools in the prevention of weapons entering a healthcare setting

Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, and Chronotype in University Students in India: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Optimal sleep is an important aspect of academic performance and mental health. However, poor sleep health is often present among university students due to their lifestyle and academic requirements. University students in India have been shown to have poor sleep health. Though self-reported sleep issues have been evaluated among university students in India, these results have not been synthesized to date. We aimed to identify factors that may be associated with poor sleep health among university students in India from January 2010 to April 2021, inclusive. As a secondary aim, we sought to evaluate factors associated with sleep among university students in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar to identify studies conducted in India related to sleep among university students. The studies were synthesized by aspects of sleep (sleep quality, sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)) and chronotype, types of university students in India (non-medical and medical) and if they examined sleep in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: 12 articles were identified that evaluated sleep duration, sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness and included university students in India. Findings suggested that between 25- 72% of Indian university students reported poor sleep quality, and 17-44% experienced EDS. Similar associations were noted in both non-medical and medical undergraduate students. Students with evening chronotype vs. intermediate chronotype and morning chronotype were more likely to experience poor sleep quality. Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic reported differing results of poor sleep quality and increased sleep duration. Discussion: Demographic, psychological, and socio-behavioral factors are statistically significantly related to poor sleep quality, EDS, and short sleep duration among university students in India. Take-home message: Poor sleep quality is prevalent among university students in India. To improve sleep issues among university students in India, researchers should design tailored sleep interventions that account for demographic, psychological, and socio-behavioral factors that may place students at risk for poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and short sleep duration

Determinantes dos níveis de cotinina salivar: um estudo de base populacional no Brasil

OBJECTIVE: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted to assess, in active smokers, the relationship of number of cigarettes smoked and other characteristics to salivary cotinine concentrations. METHODS: A random sample of active smokers aged 15 years or older was selected using a stepwise cluster sample strategy, in the year 2000 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study included 401 subjects. Salivary cotinine concentration was determined using gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. A standard questionnaire was used to collect demographic and smoking behavioral data. The relation between the number of cigarettes smoked in the last 24h and cotinine level was examined by means of a nonparametric fitting technique of robust locally weighted regression. RESULTS: Significantly (p;40 ng/mL per cigarette were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: There was found a positive association between self-reporting smoking five minutes after waking up, and inhaling more than ½ the time are consistent and higher cotinine levels. These can be markers of dependence and higher nicotine intake. Salivary cotinine proved to be a useful biomarker of recent smoking and can be used in epidemiological studies and smoking cessation programs.OBJETIVO: Realizou-se um estudo transversal para analisar a relação entre número de cigarros fumados e outras características com a concentração de cotinina salivar entre fumantes. MÉTODOS: Fumantes ativos de 15 anos ou mais foram selecionados por meio de amostra probabilística em múltiplos estágios no ano 2000, município do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. O estudo incluiu 401 fumantes. A concentração de cotinina salivar foi determinada utilizando-se cromatografia gasosa com detector de nitrogênio/fósforo. Coletaram-se informações demográficas e sobre o comportamento tabágico utilizando-se questionário padronizado. A relação entre o número de cigarros fumados nas últimas 24h e o nível de cotinina foi analisada utilizando técnica não paramétrica baseada em regressões robustas locais ponderadas. RESULTADOS: O nível médio ajustado de cotinina foi significativamente (

An Exploratory Study Examining the Associations between Sunlight Exposure, Sleep Behaviours and Sleep Outcomes during an Arctic Summer

Few evidence-based recommendations exist for maintaining healthy sleep during Arctic summers. Our study aimed to examine associations between sleep hygiene, sunlight exposure and sleep outcomes in workers living in and/or near the Arctic Circle during a 24-h light period. A survey was administered July 2017 to 19 workers at 3 Arctic base camps in Northeastern Alaska. Participants with poorer sleep hygiene reported increased sleepiness (r=.62, p=0.01); this correlation remained moderately strong, albeit not statistically significant (NS), after controlling for shift work (r=.46, p=0.06). No other statistically significant correlations between sleep hygiene and sleep outcomes were found. Weekly daytime (8pm) sunlight exposures, estimated from daily self-reported sunlight exposures for a typical workday and day off, were dichotomised, based on means, into: longer (\u3e45 h/week) versus shorter (/week) daytime exposures, and longer (\u3e16 h/week) versus shorter (/week) evening exposures. Participants reporting longer, versus shorter, weekly daytime sunlight exposure had statistically significantly (Mann-Whitney U=18.00, Z=-1.98, p/=.3 for longer, vis-a-vis shorter, daylight sunlight exposure suggest it could be related to poorer sleep outcomes, such as insufficient sleep and sleep quality, yet, as these correlations were NS, future work is needed to determine this. Weak or no correlations (and NS differences) were found for longer, versus shorter, weekly evening sunlight exposure and sleep outcomes. Findings support previous research suggesting self-regulation behaviours alone are not protective against poor sleep in Arctic environments. Sleep outcomes did not differ statistically significantly by evening sunlight exposure length. Longer weekly daytime sunlight exposure, versus shorter, was significantly associated with decreased sleep duration. Results from this exploratory study should be confirmed in studies using larger sample sizes

Association Between Homocysteine and Vascular Calcification Incidence, Prevalence, and Progression in the MESA Cohort.

Background While elevated homocysteine has been associated with calcification in several studies, its importance as a cardiovascular risk factor remains unclear. This study examines the relationship between homocysteine and vascular and valve calcification in the MESA (Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) cohort. Methods and Results MESA participants with baseline homocysteine measurements and cardiac computed tomography scans were included (N=6789). Baseline and follow-up assessment of vascular (coronary artery [CAC], descending thoracic aorta [DTAC]) and valve (aortic valve [AVC], mitral annular [MAC]) calcification was performed. Prevalence ratio/relative risk regression was used to assess the relationship of homocysteine with prevalent and incident calcification, and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations between homocysteine and calcification progression. Elevated homocysteine was associated with greater relative risk of prevalent and incident CAC and incident DTAC. We also identified a strong association between elevated homocysteine and CAC and DTAC progression. Elevated homocysteine was found to confer a >2-fold increased risk of severe CAC progression (defined as ΔCAC ≥100/year) and an ≈1.5-fold increased risk for severe DTAC progression (defined as ΔDTAC ≥100/year). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating an association between elevated homocysteine and both incidence and progression of coronary and extra-coronary vascular calcification. Our findings suggest a potential role for elevated homocysteine as a risk factor for severe vascular calcification progression. Future studies are warranted to further assess the utility of homocysteine as a biomarker for vascular calcification incidence and progression. Clinical Trial Registration https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT00005487