Does Journal Content in the Field of Women's Health Represent Women's Burden of Disease? A Review of Publications in 2010 and 2020

Background: Historically, women's health has focused on reproductive health. However, noncommunicable and communicable diseases comprise much of the burden of disease in women. Methods: A quantitative analysis of the main health content of articles published in six women's health journals (WHJ) and five general medical journals (GMJ) in 2010 and 2020 was conducted to categorize the main medical area topics of published articles and the life stage under study. Findings were compared with the leading causes of disease in women according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Results: There were 1483 articles eligible for analysis. In total, in WHJ, 44% of topics were reproductive health, increasing from 36% in 2010 to 49% in 2020, which was similar to GMJ. Noncommunicable disease was the next most addressed topic, with cancer being the major disease area covered. When compared with the GBD study, major disease areas such as infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, and musculoskeletal disorders were underrepresented as topics in women's health publications. Most articles that focused on a particular life stage were on pregnancy or the reproductive years, with very few articles on menopause. Conclusion: Women's health publishing remains largely focused on reproductive health topics, with few articles on many of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in women. Journals, researchers, funders, and research priority setters should embrace a broader view of women's health to effectively cover content that reflects the broad range of health issues impacting women across the life span

Gender equality and the gender gap in life expectancy in the European Union

Introduction Life expectancy (LE) depends on the wider determinants of health, which have different impact in women and men. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether gender equality was correlated with LE in women and men. Methods Gender equality in the 27 European Union (EU) member states between 2010 and 2019 was estimated using a modified Gender Equality Index (mGEI), based on the index developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality. The correlation between this mGEI and LE and the gender gap in LE was calculated using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results Between 2010 and 2019, LE increased more for men than women, which resulted in a narrowing of the gender gap in LE in the EU. During the same period, there was an increase in gender equality, as measured by the mGEI, although with substantial heterogeneity between countries. There was a strong correlation between the mGEI and the gender gap in LE (-0.880), which was explained by a stronger correlation between the mGEI and longer LE in men than in women (0.655 vs 0.629, respectively). The domains of the mGEI most strongly associated with a narrowing of the gender gap in LE were health, money and knowledge, while power was the domain with the weakest association. Conclusions Gender equality appears to be at least as beneficial to men as women with regard to LE, thus reinforcing the key role gender equality plays in improving population health and longevity

Estabilidade de cultivares de milho-pipoca em diferentes ambientes, no Estado de Minas Gerais.

O desempenho das cultivares de milho-pipoca varia com os ambientes, de modo que uma cultivar dificilmente é a melhor em todas as condições de cultivo. A resposta diferenciada das cultivares à variação ambiental denomina-se interação genótipo por ambientes. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estimar a adaptabilidade e estabilidade de cultivares de milho-pipoca quando estas foram submetidas a diferentes doses de adubação de semeadura, em diferentes locais e anos agrícolas, no estado de Minas Gerais. Foram avaliadas oito cultivares de milho-pipoca, utilizando duas doses de adubação de semeadura, em Lavras, Ijaci e Sete Lagoas, nos anos agrícolas de 2000/01 e 2001/02, perfazendo 12 ambientes. Em um dos experimentos de cada local foram utilizados 250 kg.ha-1 da formulação 8 (N): 28 (P2O5): 16 (K2O) na adubação de semeadura, e no outro experimento, 500 kg.ha-1 da mesma formulação. A adubação de cobertura foi semelhante para ambos os experimentos. O delineamento experimental para cada experimento foi o de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Cada experimento foi considerado um ambiente, uma vez que foram conduzidos em diferentes locais, doses de adubação e anos agrícolas. Os resultados obtidos em todos os experimentos foram submetidos à análise de variância conjunta, considerando o peso de grão (Kg.ha-1) e a capacidade de expansão (m1.g-1). Os parâmetros que avaliaram a adaptabilidade e estabilidade foram estimados a partir das metodologias de Eberhart e Russell (1966) e Annicchiarico (1992). As cultivares diferiram quanto à adaptabilidade e estabilidade para o peso de grão, não sendo observado o mesmo para a capacidade de expansão. As cultivares Zélia, IAC 112 e Ames-4198 apresentaram os melhores resultados para a produção de grãos, 2.710, 2.728 e 2.696 kg.ha-1 e capacidade de expansão, 28,6, 27,6 e 27,5 ml.g-1, respectivamente, tanto para ambientes favoráveis como desfavoráveis. Esses cultivares apresentaram comportamento previsível e alto índice de confiança na recomendação para as regiões avaliadas

A novel methodology to assess the relaxation rate of the intervertebral disc by increments on intradiscal pressure

Publicado em "Applied mechanics and materials, vol. 664 (2014) pp 379-383"The Intervertebral Disc (IVD) is subjected to several types of loading during daily routine events. However, the overloading on this structure induces higher Intradiscal Pressure (IDP), which could cause severe damage on its structure. This study describes a new approach to that allows monitorize and pressurize nuclear region of the IVD, with a cartilaginous endplate access, by the insertion of an external fluid, while a Motion Segment (MS-assembly composed by vertebra-disc-vertebra) is compressed at a physiological load. This methodology includes the use of a pneumatic structure that applies a certain pressure on the hydrostatic system, forcing a fluid to enter into the MS through a screw, with a drilled hollow along its entire length. Preliminary results indicated that this methodology presents high potential to efficiently pressurize the IVD, providing a useful tool to better understand the response of this structure under pressure.EC -European Commission(NMP-2009-SMALL-3-CP-FP 246351

A novel methodology for measurement of the intradiscal pressure and height disc variation of intervertebral disc under compression

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is subjected to several types of loading during daily routine events. However, the overloading on this structure induces higher intradiscal pressure (IDP), which could cause severe damage on its structure. This study describes a new approach to monitor IDP and determine the height disc variation by applying external pressure, while a motion segment (assembly composed by vertebra-disc-vertebra) compressed at a physiological load. This methodology includes the use of a pneumatic structure that applies a certain pressure on the hydrostatic system, forcing a fluid to enter into the motion segment, through a screw with a drilled hollow along its entire length with an internal bore. Preliminary results indicates these methodology presents high potential to efficiently pressurize the IVD, providing a useful tool to better understand the response of this structure under pressure

Cross-sectional study of the relationship between women's representation among editors and peer reviewers in journals of the British Medical Journal Publishing Group

Objectives To investigate whether there is an association between women’s representation as peer reviewers and editors of medical journals. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the gender of editors and peer reviewers of journals of the British Medical Journal Publishing Group (BMJ-PG) in 2020 was determined based on given names. Trends over time were analysed for the BMJ between 2009 and 2017. Results Overall, this study included 47 of the 74 journals in the BMJ-PG. Women accounted for 30.2% of the 42 539 peer reviewers, with marked variation from 8% to 50%. Women represented 33.4% of the 555 editors, including 19.2% of the 52 editors-in-chief. There was a moderate positive correlation between the percentage of women as editors and as reviewers (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.590; p<0.0001). The percentage of women as editors, excluding editors-in-chief, was higher when the editor-in-chief was a woman than a man (53.3% vs 29.2%, respectively; p<0.0001). Likewise, the percentage of women as peer reviewers was higher in journals that had a woman as editor-in-chief in comparison with a man (32.0% vs 26.4%, respectively; p<0.0001). There was a slight increase in the percentage of women as peer reviewers from 27.3% in 2009 to 29.7% in 2017 in the BMJ. Conclusions Women account for less than one in three peer reviewers of medical journals. Women’s representation as peer reviewers is higher in journals with higher percentage of women as editors or with a woman as editor-in-chief. It is, thus, imperative to address the persisting gender gap at all levels of the publishing system

Adaptabilidade e estabilidade de cultivares de milho para produtividade de matéria seca e degradabilidade ruminal da silagem.

Estudaram-se os fatores de adaptabilidade e estabilidade de cultivares de milho para caracteres associados a qualidade da silagem, em diferentes condições ambientais. Foram avaliados dez cultivares em diferentes locais e safras agrícolas (Capinópolis, Janaúba, Lavras e Sete Lagoas, nas safras de 1997/98, 1998/99 e 1999/00, e Coronel Pacheco, nas safras de 1997/98 e 1998/99). Em todos os ambientes, o delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com três repetições. No estádio farináceo-duro, procedeu-se à colheita das plantas da parcela, que foram cortadas e pesadas, para a determinação do peso da amostra seca ao ar. Em seguida, a matéria seca das amostras das repetições de cada cultivar foi misturada, moída e passada em peneira de 5 mm, para a avaliação de degradabilidade in situ da matéria seca, após 24 horas de incubação no rúmen de bovino. As análises de adaptabilidade e estabilidade foram realizadas utilizando os procedimentos de Eberhart e Russel (1966) e Annicchiarico (1992). Foi estimado também um índice para seleção das cultivares obtido a partir da multiplicação do carácter produção de matéria seca pela degradabilidade, utilizando as médias de cada ambiente. Observou-se que a interação cultivares e ambientes foi significativa apenas para o carácter produtividade de matéria seca. As cultivares avaliadas diferem quanto à adaptabilidade e à estabilidade de produtividade de matéria seca. A metodologia de Annicchiarico(1992) discriminou as cultivares superiores quanto à produtividade de matéria seca, em que as cultivares CO9621, DINA 1000 e DINA 657 foram as que apresentaram menor risco de baixa produtividade de matéria seca. essas cultivares forma também as que apresentaram melhor desempenho, desempenho, de acordo com o índice utilizado

Poly(lactic acid)/graphite nanoplatelet nanocomposite filaments for ligament scaffolds

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most prone to injury in the human body. Due to its insufficient vascularization and low regenerative capacity, surgery is often required when it is ruptured. Most of the current tissue engineering (TE) strategies are based on scaffolds produced with fibers due to the natural ligamentâ s fibrous structure. In the present work, composite filaments based on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) reinforced with graphite nanoplatelets (PLA+EG) as received, chemically functionalized (PLA+f-EG), or functionalized and decorated with silver nanoparticles [PLA+((f-EG)+Ag)] were produced by melt mixing, ensuring good filler dispersion. These filaments were produced with diameters of 0.25 mm and 1.75 mm for textile-engineered and 3D-printed ligament scaffolds, respectively. The resulting composite filaments are thermally stable, and the incorporation of graphite increases the stiffness of the composites and decreases the electrical resistivity, as compared to PLA. None of the filaments suffered significant degradation after 27 days. The composite filaments were processed into 3D scaffolds with finely controlled dimensions and porosity by textile-engineered and additive fabrication techniques, demonstrating their potential for ligament TE applications.This research was funded by FCT through the National Funds Reference UIDB/05256/2020 and UIDP/05256/2020, the FCT and European Program FEDER/COMPETE through the project PTDC/BTM-MAT/28123/2017, and the FCT, European Union and European Social Fund (FSE) through the PhD Grant Reference SFRH/BD/138244/2018