Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

About: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation is a facility organization based out in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Trypanosoma cruzi. The organization has 18673 authors who have published 36752 publications receiving 802378 citations. The organization is also known as: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz & FIOCRUZ.

The process of domestication in Triatominae.

Abstract: The Triatominae represent a subfamily of the Reduviidae defined on the basis of their bloodsucking habit and associated characteristics. At present, 128 species are formally recognised, grouped into 17 genera in 5 tribes. The majority are silvatic, associated with a wide variety of vertebrate hosts -particularly nest-building mammals and birds. Others occupy silvatic and peridomestic habitats such as chicken coops and goat corrals, and a few have completed the transition to domestic habitats where they may become important as domestic vectors of human Chagas disease. The most highly domesticated species, such as Triatoma infestans in Southem Cone countries, and Rhodniusprolixus in parts of the Andean Pact and Central America, are now being progressively controlled through regional and national initiatives designed to eliminate domestic populations by residual insecticide spraying. In recent years however, there have been increasing reports of other species establishing domestic colonies, and some, such as T. dimidiata, have even invaded urban and periurban residences. In many cases, the new infestations involve little-known species previously considered to be exclusively silvatic in habit, such as Paizstrongylus rufotuberculatus, RIiodnius stali, and Eragrus inucronatus in Bolivia (Noireau et al. 1995, Dujardin et al. 1998a), and Pgeniculatus in the Amazon region (Valente et al. 1998). It seems clear therefore, that the process of domestication in Triatominae is not only a historical event, but may be a generalised current trend within the subfamily (cf. Diotaiuti 1997). Here we present a general description of the evolutionary process, as a basis for discussion of the possible mechanisms involved and their likely consequences.

Socio-demographic determinants of self-rated health in Brazil

Abstract: Self-rated health has been used extensively in epidemiologic studies, not only due to its importance per se but also due to the validity established by its association with clinical conditions and with greater risk of subsequent morbidity and mortality. In this study, the socio-demographic determinants of good self-rated health are analyzed using data from the World Health Survey, adapted and carried out in Brazil in 2003. Logistic regression models were used, with age and sex as covariables, and educational level, a household assets index, and work-related indicators as measures of socioeconomic status. Besides the effects of sex and age, with consistently worst health perception among females and among the eldest, the results showed pronounced socioeconomic inequalities. After adjusting for age, among females the factors that contributed most to deterioration of health perception were incomplete education and material hardship; among males, besides material hardship, work related indicators (manual work, unemployment, work retirement or incapable to work) were also important determining factors. Among individuals with long-term illness or disability, the socioeconomic gradient persisted, although of smaller magnitude.

Co-authorship Network Analysis: A Powerful Tool for Strategic Planning of Research, Development and Capacity Building Programs on Neglected Diseases

Abstract: Background: New approaches and tools were needed to support the strategic planning, implementation and management of a Program launched by the Brazilian Government to fund research, development and capacity building on neglected tropical diseases with strong focus on the North, Northeast and Center-West regions of the country where these diseases are prevalent. Methodology/Principal Findings: Based on demographic, epidemiological and burden of disease data, seven diseases were selected by the Ministry of Health as targets of the initiative. Publications on these diseases by Brazilian researchers were retrieved from international databases, analyzed and processed with text-mining tools in order to standardize author- and institution’s names and addresses. Co-authorship networks based on these publications were assembled, visualized and analyzed with social network analysis software packages. Network visualization and analysis generated new information, allowing better design and strategic planning of the Program, enabling decision makers to characterize network components by area of work, identify institutions as well as authors playing major roles as central hubs or located at critical network cut-points and readily detect authors or institutions participating in large international scientific collaborating networks. Conclusions/Significance: Traditional criteria used to monitor and evaluate research proposals or R&D Programs, such as researchers’ productivity and impact factor of scientific publications, are of limited value when addressing research areas of low productivity or involving institutions from endemic regions where human resources are limited. Network analysis was found to generate new and valuable information relevant to the strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of the Program. It afforded a more proactive role of the funding agencies in relation to public health and equity goals, to scientific capacity building objectives and a more consistent engagement of institutions and authors from endemic regions based on innovative criteria and parameters anchored on objective scientific data.

Saúde reprodutiva, materna, neonatal e infantil nos 30 anos do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)

Abstract: Resumo Este estudo apresenta um sumario das intervencoes realizadas no âmbito do setor publico e os indicadores de resultado alcancados na saude de mulheres e criancas, destacando-se os avancos no periodo 1990-2015. Foram descritos indicadores de atencao pre-natal, assistencia ao parto e saude materna e infantil utilizando dados provenientes de Sistemas de Informacao Nacionais de nascidos vivos e obitos; inqueritos nacionais; e publicacoes obtidas de diversas outras fontes. Foram tambem descritos os programas governamentais desenvolvidos para a melhoria da saude das mulheres e das criancas, bem como outros intersetoriais para reducao da pobreza. Houve grande queda nas taxas de fecundidade, universalizacao da atencao pre-natal e hospitalar ao parto, aumento do acesso a contracepcao e aleitamento materno, e diminuicao das hospitalizacoes por aborto e da subnutricao. Mantem-se em excesso a sifilis congenita, taxa de cesarianas e nascimentos prematuros. A reducao na mortalidade na infância foi de mais de 2/3, mas nao tao marcada no componente neonatal. A razao de mortalidade materna decresceu de 143,2 para 59,7 por 1000 NV. Embora alguns poucos indicadores tenham demonstrado piora ou mantido a estabilidade, a grande maioria apresentou acentuadas melhoras.