Clarifying middle authorship contributions to reduce abuses in science publishing and assessment of top-ranked SJR biochemistry and pharmacology journals' authorship criteria.

So-called "middle authors," being neither the first, last, nor corresponding author of an academic paper, have made increasing relative contributions to academic scholarship over recent decades. No work has specifically and explicitly addressed the roles, rights, and responsibilities of middle authors, an authorship position which we believe is particularly vulnerable to abuse via growing phenomena such as paper mills. Responsible middle authorship requires transparent declarations of intellectual and other scientific contributions that journals can and should require of co-authors and established guidelines and criteria to achieve this already exist (ICMJE/CRediT). Although publishers, editors, and authors need to collectively uphold a situation of shared responsibility for appropriate co-authorship, current models have failed science since verification of authorship is impossible, except through blind trust in authors' statements. During the retraction of a paper, while the opinion of individual co-authors might be noted in a retraction notice, the retraction itself practically erases the relevance of co-author contributions and position/status (first, leading, senior, last, co-corresponding, etc.). Paper mills may have successfully proliferated because individual authors' roles and responsibilities are not tangibly verifiable and are thus indiscernible. We draw on a historical example of manipulated research to argue that authors and editors should publish publicly available, traceable contributions to the intellectual content of an article-both classical authorship or technical contributions-to maximize both visibility of individual contributions and accountability. To make our article practically more relevant to this journal's readership, we reviewed the top 50 Q1 journals in the fields of biochemistry and pharmacology, as ranked by the SJR, to appreciate which journals adopted the ICMJE or CRediT schools of authorship contribution, finding significant variation in adhesion to ICMJE guidelines nor the CRediT criteria and wording of author guidelines.

Credibility at stake: only two-thirds of randomized trials of nutrition interventions are registered and lack transparency in outcome and treatment effect definitions.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the adherence of randomized controlled trials of nutrition interventions to transparency practices informing assessments of selective reporting biases, including the availability of a trial registration entry, protocol and statistical analysis plan (SAP). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective observational study with cross-sectional design. We systematically searched for trials published from 1 July 2019, to 30 June 2020, and included a randomly selected sample of 400 studies. We searched for registry entries, protocols, and SAPs for all included studies. We extracted data to characterize the disclosure of sufficient information in the available materials to inform assessments of selective reporting biases, considering the definition of outcome domain, measure, metric, method of aggregation, time point, analysis population, methods to handle missing data and method of adjustment. RESULTS: Most trials (69%) were registered, but these often lacked sufficient specification of outcomes and intended treatment effects. Protocols and SAPs provided more details but were less often available (14% and 3%, respectively), and even then, almost all studies presented limited information to inform the assessments of risk of bias due to the selection of the reported result. CONCLUSION: Lack of full specification of outcomes and intended treatment effects hinder a full adherence of randomized controlled trials of nutrition interventions to transparency practices and may affect their credibility.

Self-Consistent Study of GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Wells with Modulated Doping.

In this work, the characterization and analysis of the physics of a GaAs quantum well with AlGaAs barriers were carried out, according to an interior doped layer. An analysis of the probability density, the energy spectrum, and the electronic density was performed using the self-consistent method to solve the Schrödinger, Poisson, and charge-neutrality equations. Based on the characterizations, the system response to geometric changes in the well width and to non-geometric changes, such as the position and with of the doped layer as well as the donor density, were reviewed. All second-order differential equations were solved using the finite difference method. Finally, with the obtained wave functions and energies, the optical absorption coefficient and the electromagnetically induced transparency between the first three confined states were calculated. The results showed the possibility of tuning the optical absorption coefficient and the electromagnetically induced transparency via changes to the system geometry and the doped-layer characteristics.

Tecnologías de información para lucha anticorrupción: análisis de la contratación pública costarricense / Tecnologias da informação para a luta contra a corrupção: análise da contratação pública costarriquenha / Information technologies for countering corruption: analysis of the Costa Rican public procurement system

Resumen La corrupción es un fenómeno con consecuencias desastrosas para el bienestar económico, social y político de nuestras sociedades. En particular, la contratación pública es vulnerable debido al elevado valor económico de sus transacciones. La presente investigación analiza el rol que las tecnologías de información pueden jugar en la lucha anticorrupción. Desarrollamos un caso basado en datos abiertos de contrataciones públicas en Costa Rica, con la finalidad de identificar los conceptos principales asociados al sistema de información subyacente. El caso muestra el potencial de las herramientas tecnológicas de análisis de redes sociales para contrarrestar la complejidad de las redes de corrupción. Asimismo, se evidencia la necesidad de disponer de un ecosistema rico en datos anticorrupción, preferiblemente en formato abierto.

Resumo: A corrupção é um fenômeno com consequências desastrosas para o bem-estar econômico, social e político das nossas sociedades. Em particular, a contratação pública é um fator altamente vulnerável devido ao alto valor econômico de suas transações. A pesquisa analisa o papel que as tecnologias da informação podem desempenhar no combate à corrupção. Além disso, desenvolvemos um caso baseado em dados abertos sobre compras públicas na Costa Rica, a fim de identificar os principais conceitos associados ao sistema de informação subjacente. O caso mostra o potencial das ferramentas tecnológicas de análise de redes sociais para ir de encontro a complexidade das redes de corrupção. Mostra também a necessidade de um ecossistema diversificado e sustentável de dados anticorrupção - preferencialmente em formato aberto.

Abstract Corruption has disastrous consequences for the well-being of societies. In particular, public procurement is a highly vulnerable factor due to the high value of its transactions. This research analyzes the role that information technologies can play in the fight against corruption. We developed a case based on open data on public procurement in Costa Rica to identify the main concepts associated with the underlying information system. The case shows the potential of technological tools for social network analysis to counter the complexity of corruption networks. It also shows the need for a rich ecosystem of anti-corruption data - preferably in an open format.

A scoping review on the GLIM criteria for malnutrition diagnosis: Understanding how and for which purpose it has been applied in studies on hospital settings.

AIMS: This scoping review aimed to identify and map the literature on malnutrition diagnosis made using the GLIM criteria in hospitalized patients. METHODS: The scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science (until 16 April 2022) to identify studies based on the 'population' (adults or elderly patients), 'concept' (malnutrition diagnosis by the GLIM criteria), and 'context' (hospital settings) framework. Titles/abstracts were screened, and two independent reviewers extracted data from eligible studies. RESULTS: Ninety-six studies were eligible (35.4% from China, 30.2% involving oncological patients, and 30.5% with prospective data collection), 32 followed the two-step GLIM approach, and 50 applied all the criteria. All the studies evaluated body mass index (BMI), while 92.7% evaluated weight loss; 77.1%, muscle mass; 93.8%, inflammation; and 70.8%, energy intake. A lack of details on the methods adopted for criterion evaluation was observed in five (muscle mass evaluation) to 40 studies (energy intake evaluation). The frequency of the use of the GLIM criteria ranged from 22.2% (frequency of low BMI) to 84.7% (frequency of inflammation), and the malnutrition prevalence ranged from 0.96% to 87.9%. Less than 30% of studies aimed to assess the GLIM criterion validity, eight studies cited the guidance on validation of the GLIM criteria, and a minority implemented it. CONCLUSIONS: This map of studies on the GLIM criteria in hospital settings demonstrated that they are applied in a heterogeneous manner, with a wide range of malnutrition prevalence. Almost 50% of the studies applied all the criteria, while one-third followed the straightforward two-step approach. The recommendations of the guidance on validation of the criteria were scarcely adhered to. The gaps that need to be explored in future studies have been highlighted.

Obtaining human teeth for dental education: A cross-sectional study to create ethical and transparent processes.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the practices of obtaining human teeth for teaching and research in Paraguay. The goal of this research is to understand whether the data supports the need to improve ethical training within dental education, including the creation of a human tooth bank (HTB) METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted. Three semi-structured questionnaires were developed, one for each target population: dental students, dentists in practice, and the general population. The questionnaires were distributed between February and April 2021, using Google Forms RESULTS: The main places where human teeth were obtained by a student are dental clinics, followed by cemeteries. 94% of students and 91% of dentists paid for teeth on at least one occasion. There is a willingness on the part of students and dentists to donate collections of teeth, and among the general population to donate their teeth if they are extracted, for both teaching and research use. Note that, 31% of students and 6% of the population are aware of what an HTB is, at the same time only 16% of dentists know how it functions CONCLUSION: The number of respondents who obtain teeth from cemeteries and who pay for their acquisition is high. Both of these practices raise ethical concerns. The implementation of informed consent for the donation of extracted teeth is practically nil; although there is a positive attitude towards its implementation. Also, there is a lack of knowledge about the role of an HTB; although the population expressed a willingness to donate extracted teeth.

Transparência, accountability e governance: revisão sistemática da literatura nos hospitais públicos / Transparencia, rendición de cuentas y gobernanza: una revisión de la literatura en el contexto de los hospitales públicos / Transparency, accountability, and governance: a literature review in the context of public hospitals

Resumo Neste estudo busca-se desenvolver uma revisão da literatura baseada na análise bibliométrica sobre o tema da transparência e da accountability no contexto da governance dos hospitais públicos, procurando identificar linhas de investigação, teoria, método de investigação e lacunas existentes por intermédio da análise das publicações científicas datadas até 2020. A investigação seguiu o referencial teórico da transparência e da accountability no setor público com o intuito de compreender o seu enquadramento no contexto da governance dos hospitais. Com recurso ao software Bibliometrix e terminado o processo de consulta dos artigos nas bases de dados Scopus e WoS, foram selecionados 118 artigos para este estudo. Constatou-se que, no período entre 2017-2020, cerca de 85% das publicações são de base qualitativa e há uma tendência crescente no estudo da transparência e da accountability na governança dos hospitais públicos. A transparência surge frequentemente interligada à responsabilização dos agentes (accountability), às políticas de comunicação externa (relatórios públicos) e interna, assim como à sua compreensibilidade. Verificou-se a ainda predominância das publicações de origem norte-americana e chinesa. O estudo identifica também a escassez de investigação baseada em modelos quantitativos que explorem relações de dependência entre as dimensões estudadas, limitando a compreensão da interdependência entre as práticas de transparência e os atributos internos e externos das organizações. O estudo contribui para o conhecimento sobre interações entre transparência, accountability e prestação de contas na governança dos hospitais públicos.

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio es desarrollar una revisión bibliográfica basada en el análisis bibliométrico sobre el tema de la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas en el ámbito de la gobernanza de los hospitales públicos, buscando identificar líneas de investigación, teorías, métodos de investigación y lagunas existentes a través del análisis de las publicaciones científicas fechadas hasta 2020. La investigación siguió el referencial teórico de la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas en el sector público para comprender su marco en el ámbito de la gobernanza de los hospitales. Recurriendo al software Bibliometrix, y tras el proceso de consulta de los artículos en las bases de datos Scopus y WoS, se seleccionaron 118 artículos de interés para este estudio. Se constató que, en el periodo comprendido entre 2017 y 2020, aproximadamente el 85% de las publicaciones son de base cualitativa y existe una tendencia creciente en el estudio de la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas en el ámbito de la gobernanza de los hospitales públicos. La transparencia aparece a menudo interconectada con la responsabilidad de los agentes (rendición de cuentas), las políticas de comunicación externa (informes públicos) e interna, así como su comprensibilidad. También se observó el predominio de publicaciones de origen norteamericano y chino. El estudio también identifica la escasez de investigaciones que utilicen modelos cuantitativos que exploren las relaciones de dependencia entre las dimensiones estudiadas, lo que limita la comprensión de la interdependencia entre las prácticas de transparencia y los atributos internos y externos de las organizaciones. El estudio contribuye al conocimiento de las interacciones entre transparencia, rendición de cuentas y reporte en el ámbito de la gobernanza de los hospitales públicos.

Abstract This study develops a literature review based on bibliometric analysis on the theme of transparency and accountability within the scope of governance of public hospitals, seeking to identify research lines, theories, research methods, and existing gaps through the analysis of scientific publications until 2020. The investigation followed the theoretical lens of transparency and accountability in the public sector to understand its framework within the scope of the governance of hospitals. Using the Bibliometrix software, and after the consultation process of the articles published in the Scopus and WoS databases, a sample with 118 articles was selected. It was found that, in the period between 2017-2020, approximately 85% of the publications were qualitative, and there is a growing trend in the study of transparency and accountability within the scope of governance of public hospitals. Transparency often appears interconnected with the accountability of agents (accountability), external communication policies (public reports), internal communication policies, and their comprehensibility. The predominance of publications of North American and Chinese origin was also noted. The study also identifies the scarcity of research using quantitative models that explore dependency relationships between the dimensions studied, limiting the comprehensibility of the interdependence between transparency practices and organizations' internal and external attributes. The study contributes to the knowledge about the interactions between transparency, accountability, and reporting within the scope of governance of public hospitals.

Transparency of subnational governments: the impact of inequality on transparency / Transparencia de los gobiernos subnacionales: el impacto de la desigualdad en la transparencia / Transparência dos governos subnacionais: o impacto da desigualdade na transparência

Abstract What are the effects of extractive informal institutions on the horizontal accountability process in a developing democracy? This paper presents evidence about the harmful effects of extractive informal institutions on horizontal accountability within subnational governments in Brazil. After three decades of free and competitive elections, the institutional design of oversight institutions for state governments has hardly changed. We explore the hypothesis that more extractive informal institutions, measured by the level of income inequality, is associated with decreasing transparency levels. Given its extensive social, political, and economic diversity embedded in an overall centralized formal institutional framework, Brazil provides an appropriate setting to test the hypothesis that extractive informal institutions responsible for increased income inequality can undermine horizontal accountability in new democracies.

Resumen ¿Cuáles son los efectos de las instituciones informales extractivas sobre el proceso de accountability horizontal en una democracia en desarrollo? Este artículo presenta evidencia sobre los efectos dañinos de las instituciones informales extractivas sobre la accountability horizontal dentro de los gobiernos subnacionales en Brasil. Después de tres décadas de elecciones libres y competitivas, el diseño institucional de las instituciones de supervisión de los gobiernos estatales apenas ha cambiado. Exploramos la hipótesis de que las instituciones informales más extractivas, medidas por el nivel de desigualdad de ingresos, están asociadas con niveles decrecientes de transparencia. Dada su amplia diversidad social, política y económica integrada en un marco institucional formal, general y centralizado, Brasil proporciona un entorno apropiado para probar la hipótesis de que las instituciones informales extractivas, responsables de una mayor desigualdad de ingresos, pueden socavar la accountability horizontal en las nuevas democracias.

Resumo Quais são os efeitos das instituições informais extrativas no processo de accountability horizontal numa democracia em desenvolvimento? Este artigo apresenta evidências sobre os efeitos nocivos das instituições informais extrativistas na accountability horizontal dos governos subnacionais no Brasil. Após três décadas de eleições livres e competitivas, o desenho institucional das instituições de fiscalização dos governos estaduais praticamente não mudou. Exploramos a hipótese de que instituições informais mais extrativas, medidas pelo nível de desigualdade de renda, estão associadas a níveis decrescentes de transparência. Dada a sua extensa diversidade social, política e econômica, inserida num quadro institucional formal centralizado, o Brasil oferece um cenário apropriado para testar a hipótese de que as instituições informais extrativas responsáveis pelo aumento da desigualdade de rendimentos podem minar a accountability horizontal nas novas democracias.

Modelo estrutural de cidadania deliberativa: adição e validação de indicadores de participação / Modelo estructural de ciudadanía deliberativa: adición y validación de indicadores de participación / Structural model of deliberative citizenship: addition and validation of participation indicators

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo é aprimorar o modelo estrutural de cidadania deliberativa (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023), que tem por base os estudos relativos à aplicação de critérios (Tenório, 2012) ao campo teórico da gestão social. Os dados foram analisados mediante modelagem de equações estruturais (Hair, Hult, Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2017; Hair et al., 2021). Responderam ao questionário eletrônico 213 pessoas de variados territórios brasileiros, convidadas em redes sociais, com destaque para o LinkedIn. Além de ratificar a qualidade estatística do modelo estrutural de cidadania deliberativa (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023), validaram-se dois indicadores propostos ao construto "participação" (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023). O construto "processo deliberativo" segue em fase exploratória, tendo uma proposição de teste com um indicador adicional relativo ao critério "espaços de transversalidade". A validação dos indicadores adicionais ao construto "participação" elevou sua qualidade acima da zona exploratória, pois suas cargas externas ficaram acima de 0,7. Dessa forma, o aprimoramento realizado amplia a compreensão teórica e estatística do modelo, apto a ser aplicado aos diversos órgãos colegiados na gestão pública.

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio es mejorar el modelo estructural de ciudadanía deliberativa (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023), que se basa en estudios relacionados con la aplicación de criterios (Tenório, 2012) al campo teórico de la gestión social. Los datos se analizaron mediante modelos de ecuaciones estructurales (Hair, Hult, Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2017; Hair et al., 20211). 213 personas de varios territorios brasileños respondieron el cuestionario electrónico, invitadas a través de las redes sociales, con énfasis en LinkedIn. Además de confirmar la calidad estadística del modelo estructural de ciudadanía deliberativa (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023), se validaron dos indicadores propuestos para el constructo participación (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023). El constructo proceso deliberativo aún se encuentra en fase exploratoria, con una propuesta de prueba con un indicador adicional relacionado con el criterio de espacios transversales. La validación de indicadores adicionales al constructo participación elevó su calidad por encima de la zona exploratoria, ya que sus cargas externas fueron superiores a 0,7. De esta forma, la mejora realizada amplía la comprensión teórica y estadística del modelo, pudiendo ser aplicado a los distintos órganos colegiados de la gestión pública.

Abstract This study aims to improve the structural model of deliberative citizenship (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023), which is based on studies related to the application of criteria (Tenório, 2012) to the theoretical field of social management. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (Hair, Hult, Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2017; Hair et al., 2021). A sample of 213 people from various regions of Brazil responded to an electronic questionnaire after being invited via social media, with emphasis on LinkedIn. In addition to confirming the statistical quality of the structural model of deliberative citizenship (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023), two indicators proposed for the "participation" construct (Costa & Pinto, 2021, 2023) were validated. The "deliberative process" construct is still in an exploratory phase, with a test proposition with an additional indicator related to the "cross-cutting spaces" criterion. The validation of additional indicators to the "participation" construct raised its quality above the exploratory zone, as its outer loadings were above 0.7. Therefore, the improvement carried out expands the theoretical and statistical understanding of the model, which can be applied to the various collegiate bodies in public management.

Fóruns de accountability síncrona: a dinâmica interna das audiências públicas orçamentárias / Foros sincrónicos de accountability: la dinámica interna de las audiencias públicas presupuestarias / Synchronous accountability forums: the internal dynamics of budget public hearings

Resumo As audiências públicas orçamentárias são espaços de transparência e participação social. Esses espaços podem ser considerados fóruns de accountability síncrona, em que a prestação de contas e a responsabilização podem ocorrer no mesmo momento, o que gera preocupação para o prestador de contas quanto às possíveis formas de responsabilização. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar como ocorre a dinâmica das audiências públicas orçamentárias organizadas pelas prefeituras municipais. Foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa interpretativista, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com gestores públicos como principal fonte de coleta. Os resultados indicam que os responsáveis pelas audiências públicas adotam estratégias para minimizar os riscos reputacionais e de responsabilização. As estratégias ocorrem em diferentes momentos: (i) na etapa de preparação, com a definição das regras de participação e o uso de filtro informacional; (ii) durante a sua realização, na forma de apresentação das informações e no direcionamento de atenção do público; e (iii) na etapa pós-audiência, por meio de baixa transparência e até manipulação de documentos. A pesquisa contribui para o entendimento das audiências como fóruns de accountability esperada, em que a expectativa do prestador de contas pode direcionar a dinâmica das audiências públicas, transformando-as em um teatro. Os resultados trazem implicações para os Tribunais de Contas e o Poder Legislativo, que poderiam exercer maior controle e fiscalização das audiências; para a sociedade, que poderia atuar de forma mais ativa e organizada; e, ainda, para a legislação em vigor, que poderia estabelecer diretrizes claras para a realização das audiências.

Resumen Las audiencias públicas presupuestarias son espacios de transparencia y participación social. Estos espacios pueden considerarse como foros de accountability sincrónicos, en los que la rendición de cuentas y la responsabilización pueden ocurrir al mismo tiempo, lo que genera preocupaciones para el rendidor de cuentas sobre las posibles formas de responsabilización. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar cómo ocurre la dinámica de las audiencias públicas de presupuesto organizadas por los municipios. Se realizó una investigación cualitativa e interpretativa, utilizando como principal fuente de recolección de datos entrevistas semiestructuradas a gestores públicos. Los resultados indican que los responsables de las audiencias públicas adoptan estrategias, minimizando los riesgos reputacionales y de responsabilización. Las estrategias ocurren en diferentes momentos: (i) en la etapa de preparación, con la definición de las reglas de participación y el uso del filtro informativo; (ii) durante su ejecución, en la forma de presentar la información y dirigir la atención del público; y, (iii) en la etapa posterior a la audiencia, a través de la baja transparencia e incluso manipulación de documentos. La investigación contribuye a la comprensión de las audiencias como foros de esperada rendición de cuentas, en los que la expectativa del rendidor de cuentas puede orientar la dinámica de las audiencias públicas, transformándolas en un teatro. Los resultados tienen implicaciones para los Tribunales de Cuentas y el Poder Legislativo, que podrían ejercer un mayor control e inspección de las audiencias; para la sociedad, que podría actuar de forma más activa y organizada; y también para la legislación vigente, que podría establecer lineamientos claros para la celebración de audiencias.

Abstract Budget public hearings are spaces for transparency and social participation. These spaces can be considered synchronous accountability forums, where the rendering of accounts and the attribution of responsibilities can co-occur, raising concerns for the responsible parties about possible accountability models. This qualitative and interpretative research analyzed the dynamics of public budget hearings organized by Brazilian municipalities using semi-structured interviews with public managers. The results indicate that those responsible for public hearings adopt strategies minimizing reputational and accountability risks at different times: (i) in the preparation stage, with the definition of participation rules and the use of an informational filter; (ii) during execution, in the form of the presentation of information and in directing the public's attention; and, (iii) in the post-hearing stage, through low transparency and document manipulation. The research contributes to understanding hearings as forums of expected accountability, in which the expectation of the authorities can direct the dynamics of public hearings, transforming them into a theater performance. The results have implications for the courts of accounts and the legislative branch, which could exercise greater control and inspection of the hearings; for society, which could act in a more active and organized way; and also for the legislation in force, which could establish clear guidelines for holding hearings.

Tuning Thermal, Morphological, and Physicochemical Properties of Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPUs) by the 1,4-Butanediol (BDO)/Dipropylene Glycol (DPG) Ratio.

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are versatile polymers presenting a broad range of properties as a result of their countless combination of raw materials­in essence, isocyanates, polyols, and chain extenders. This study highlights the effect of two different chain extenders and their combination on the structure−property relationships of TPUs synthesized by reactive extrusion. The TPUs were obtained from 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), polyester diols, and the chain extenders 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and dipropylene glycol (DPG). The BDO/DPG ratios studied were 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and 0/100 wt.%. The TPUs were characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), UV−vis spectroscopy, and physical-mechanical properties. The results indicate that DPG promotes compatibility between rigid (HS) and flexible (SS) segments of TPUs. Consequently, increasing DPG content (>75 wt.%) reduced the organization of the rigid segments and the degree of phase separation, increasing the polydispersity of the interdomain distance and the transparency in the UV−visible spectrum of the TPUs. Furthermore, increasing DPG content also reduced the amount of hydrogen bonds present in the rigid phase, reducing or extinguishing its glass transition temperature (TgHS) and melting temperature (Tm), and increasing the glass transition temperature of the flexible phase (TgSS). Therefore, increasing DPG content leads to a deterioration in mechanical properties and hydrolysis resistance.

A comunicação dos Tribunais de Contas e Ministérios Públicos nas redes sociais: os desafios da accountability na democracia digital / Comunicación de los Tribunales de Cuentas y Ministerios Públicos en redes sociales: desafíos de la accountability en la democracia digital / The communication of Courts of Accounts and Prosecution Services on social media: the challenges of accountability in the digital democracy

Resumo Este artigo trata da comunicação que os Tribunais de Contas (TCs) e os Ministérios Públicos (MPs) brasileiros promovem nas redes sociais Facebook, Twitter e Instagram, desde a abertura de suas contas. Inova na discussão a respeito do controle democrático sobre a administração pública com foco na chamada "democracia digital", mostrando que os controladores também precisam se preocupar com a transparência e responsabilização nesses espaços. Tendo verificado que os TCs e os MPs mantêm departamentos profissionais de comunicação que operam intensamente nas redes sociais, com destaque para o TC da União (TCU) e o MP Federal (MPF) no Twitter, este trabalho analisa, de forma específica, o conteúdo da comunicação das duas instituições nessa rede, com a ajuda do software Iramuteq. Tanto o TCU como o MPF mantiveram intensa atividade de postagem de conteúdos diversos no Twitter, desde a abertura de suas contas e em momentos importantes da história política recente. A pergunta que orienta o trabalho é: ampliar os canais de comunicação significa necessariamente maior accountability? O que se constatou é que, ao se apresentar mais à sociedade pelos meios digitais, esses órgãos de controle não necessariamente responderam aos requisitos de responsabilização pública presentes na teoria democrática.

Resumen Este artículo trata de la comunicación que los Tribunales de Cuentas (TC) y los Ministerios Públicos (MP) brasileños promueven en las redes sociales Facebook, Twitter e Instagram, desde la apertura de sus cuentas. Innova en la discusión acerca de los controles democráticos sobre la administración pública en la llamada "democracia digital", mostrando que los controladores también deben preocuparse por su transparencia y rendición de cuentas. Habiendo comprobado que mantienen departamentos de comunicación profesional que operan intensamente en las redes sociales, con énfasis en el Tribunal de Cuentas de la Unión (TCU) y el Ministerio Público Federal (MPF) en Twitter, el artículo analiza específicamente el contenido de la comunicación entre las dos instituciones en esta red con la ayuda del software Iramuteq. Tanto el TCU como el MPF mantuvieron sus intensas actividades de publicación de contenidos varios en Twitter desde la apertura de sus cuentas y en momentos importantes de la historia política reciente. La pregunta que guía el trabajo es: ¿expandir los canales de comunicación significa necesariamente una mayor accountability? Lo que se encontró es que, al presentarse más a la sociedad a través de los medios digitales, estos organismos de control no respondían necesariamente a los requerimientos de rendición pública de cuentas presentes en la teoría democrática.

Abstract This article deals with the communication of Brazilian Courts of Accounts and Prosecution Services on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, since the opening of their accounts. The study innovates in the discussion about democratic controls over public administration in the so-called "digital democracy," focusing on institutional communication of Courts of Accounts and Prosecution Services, showing that controllers also need to be concerned about their transparency and accountability. Having verified that they maintain professional communication departments that operate intensively on social media, with emphasis on the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) and the Federal Prosecution Service (MPF) on Twitter, the article specifically analyzes the content of the two institutions' communication in this platform by using the Iramuteq software. Both TCU and MPF kept posting a variety of content on Twitter since first opening their accounts and at important moments in recent political history. The research question addressed was: Does expanding communication channels necessarily mean greater accountability? The study found that these institutions, when communicating with society on social media, did not necessarily respond to the public accountability requirements that democratic theory implies.

Tying the successor's hands or following the neighbor? Diffusion of access to information in Brazilian municipalities / ¿Atar las manos del sucesor o seguir al vecino? Difusión del acceso a la información en municipios brasileños / Atar as mãos do sucessor ou seguir o vizinho? Difusão do acesso à informação nos municípios brasileiros

Abstract Why do political actors promote public transparency? Studies show that adherence to transparency can be both politically strategic, i.e., to tie the hands of the successor, and a result of observing the adoption of the policy made by other municipalities, i.e., to minimize the cost of information. We test both the political and the informational motivations to explain the adoption of transparency laws with a subnational analysis of the diffusion of LAI in Brazilian municipalities (2011-2019). Results show that both the informational and the political strategy motivations affect the probability of adopting the LAI. Socioeconomic factors are also important explanatory factors. However, an analysis of heterogeneous effects shows that the learning mechanism is relevant for reducing the impact of socioeconomic factors. This means that learning from neighboring municipalities minimizes the cost of information and the reliance on structural factors to promote transparency at the local level.

Resumen ¿Por qué los actores políticos promueven la transparencia pública? Los estudios muestran que la adhesión a la transparencia puede ser tanto políticamente estratégica, es decir, para atar las manos del sucesor, como resultado de la observación de la adopción de la política hecha por otros municipios, esto es, para minimizar el costo de la información. Probamos las motivaciones políticas e informativas para explicar la adopción de leyes de transparencia con un análisis subnacional de la difusión de la LAI en los municipios brasileños (2011-2019). Los resultados muestran que tanto las motivaciones de aprendizaje como las de estrategia política afectan la probabilidad de adopción de la LAI. Los factores socioeconómicos también son factores explicativos importantes. Sin embargo, un análisis de los efectos heterogéneos muestra que el mecanismo de aprendizaje es relevante para reducir el impacto de los factores socioeconómicos. Esto significa que aprender de los vecinos minimiza el costo de la información y la dependencia de factores estructurales para promover la transparencia a nivel local.

Resumo Por que os atores políticos promovem a transparência pública? Estudos mostram que a adesão à transparência pode ser tanto politicamente estratégica, ou seja, para atar as mãos do sucessor, quanto resultado da observação da adoção da política feita por outros municípios, isto é, para minimizar o custo da informação. Testamos as motivações políticas e informacionais para explicar a adoção de leis de transparência com uma análise subnacional da difusão da LAI nos municípios brasileiros (2011-2019). Os resultados mostram que tanto o aprendizado quanto as motivações da estratégia política afetam a probabilidade de adoção da LAI. Fatores socioeconômicos também são importantes fatores explicativos. No entanto, uma análise dos efeitos heterogêneos mostra que o mecanismo de aprendizagem é relevante para reduzir o impacto dos fatores socioeconômicos. Isso significa que aprender com os vizinhos minimiza o custo da informação e a dependência de fatores estruturais para promover a transparência em nível local.

Plasmonic-Induced Transparencies in an Integrated Metaphotonic System.

In this contribution, we numerically demonstrate the generation of plasmonic transparency windows in the transmission spectrum of an integrated metaphotonic device. The hybrid photonic-plasmonic structure consists of two rectangular-shaped gold nanoparticles fully embedded in the core of a multimode dielectric optical waveguide, with their major axis aligned to the electric field lines of transverse electric guided modes. We show that these transparencies arise from different phenomena depending on the symmetry of the guided modes. For the TE0 mode, the quadrupolar and dipolar plasmonic resonances of the nanoparticles are weakly coupled, and the transparency window is due to the plasmonic analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency. For the TE1 mode, the quadrupolar and dipolar resonances of the nanoparticles are strongly coupled, and the transparency is originated from the classical analogue of the Autler-Townes effect. This analysis contributes to the understanding of plasmonic transparency windows, opening new perspectives in the design of on-chip devices for optical communications, sensing, and signal filtering applications.

Exactitud y precisión de los métodos dentales para estimar la edad basados en la transparencia de la dentina radicular / Accuracy and Precision o Dental Methods to Estimate Age Based Transparenc o Root Dentin / Exatidão e precisão dos métodos odontológicos para estimar a idade com base na transparência da dentina radicular

Introducción: este trabajo buscó determinar la exactitud y precisión de los métodos dentales para estimar la edad, basados en la transparencia de la dentina radicular. Materiales y métodos: estudio transversal de tipo comparativo en el que se evaluaron 90 dientes unirradiculares de una muestra peruana de 90 cadáveres adultos masculinos. En cada diente se midió la altura de la periodontosis, altura radicular y longitud de la transparencia de la dentina radicular. Con estas medidas se hallaron las edades dentales de acuerdo con los métodos de Prince-Ubelaker, Ubelaker-Parra y Vilcapoma, y se compararon los resultados entre sí y con la edad cronológica (edad real). Debido a la normalidad de los datos y a su homocedasticidad, se utilizó la prueba de Pearson, el Anova de un factor para muestras relacionadas y la prueba de Tukey. La exactitud se evaluó mediante las diferencias entre las edades cronológicas y las estimadas por cada método, y la precisión se obtuvo del análisis de confiabilidad y repetibilidad, mediante diagramas de Bland-Altman. El nivel de significancia fue 0.05. Resultados: las exactitudes y precisiones fueron de 0.15-0.14, 2.18-2.07, 3.5-3.11 y 9.92-9.82 para los métodos de Vilcapoma, Ubelaker-Parra, Prince-Ubelaker para masculinos blancos y Prince-Ubelaker para para masculinos negros, respectivamente. Conclusiones: el método de Vilcapoma tuvo mayor exactitud y precisión para estimar la edad.

Objective: To determine the accuracy and precision of dental methods for age estimation based on transparency of root dentin. Materials and Methods: Transversal study of comparative type where 90 uniradicular teeth of a Peruvian sample of 90 male adult corpses were evaluated. In each tooth was mea-sured: height of periodontosis, root height and height of transparency of root dentin. With these mea-surements the dental ages were found according to the methods of Prince-Ubelaker, Ubelaker-Parra and Vilcapoma, comparing the results with each other and with the chronological age (real age). Due to the normality of the data and its homocedasticity, the Pearson test, the one-factor Anova for related samples and the Tukey test were used. Accuracy was evaluated by differences between chronological and esti-mated ages for each method and accuracy was obtained from reliability and repeatability analysis using Bland-Altman diagrams. The significance level was 0.05. Results: Accuracy and precision were 0.15-0.14, 2.18-2.07, 3.5-3.11 and 9.92-9.82 for the Vilcapoma, Ubelaker-Parra, Prince-Ubelaker for white males and Prince-Ubelaker for black males, respectively. Conclusions: The Vilcapoma method had greater accuracy and precision in estimating age.

Objetivo: determinar a precisão e a exatidão dos métodos odontológicos para a estimativa da idade com base na transparência da dentina radicular. Materiais e métodos: estudo transversal comparativo onde foram avaliados 90 dentes uniradiculares de uma amostra peruana de 90 cadáveres masculinos adultos. Cada dente foi medido para: altura da periodontose, altura da raiz e comprimento da transparência da dentina radicular. Com estas medidas foram encontradas as idades dentárias de acordo com os métodos de Prince-Ubelaker, Ubelaker-Parra e Vilcapoma, comparando os resultados entre si e com a idade cro-nológica (idade real). Devido à normalidade dos dados e sua homocedasticidade, foram utilizados o teste Pearson, a anova de um fator para amostras relacionadas e o teste Tukey. A exatidão foi avaliada pelas diferenças entre as idades cronológicas e as estimadas por cada método e a exatidão foi obtida a partir da análise de confiabilidade e repetibilidade usando diagramas de Bland-Altman. O nível de significância foi de 0,05. Resultados: precisão e exatidão foram 0,15-0,14, 2,18-2,07, 3,5-3,11 e 9,92-9,82 para os métodos Vilcapoma, Ubelaker-Parra, Prince-Ubelaker para os homens brancos e Prince-Ubelaker para os homens negros, respectivamente. Conclusões: o método Vilcapoma foi mais preciso e exato na estimativa da idade.

Price Transparency for Primary Hip & Knee Arthroplasty: An Overview of the Top 50 US News and World Report Orthopedic Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has mandated all hospitals to publish the charges of 300 common procedures to provide price transparency. The aims of our study are to evaluate 50 top orthopedic hospitals to determine compliance with this mandate and to assess the ease of finding cost information for arthroplasty procedures. METHODS: The websites of the top 50 US News and World Report (USNWR) orthopedic hospitals were searched to find publicly accessible procedural charges. Data included the number of clicks to locate pricing documents, number of files provided, and number of data rows pertaining to arthroplasty. Charge data was queried based on Diagnosis related group (DRG) codes (469, 470), Current Procedural Technology (CPT) codes (27130, 27477), and keyword searches ("arthroplasty", "total hip", and "total knee"). RESULTS: Forty-four (88%) of the top 50 USNWR Orthopedic institutions had publicly accessible files containing cost information. Thirty three of the 44 institutions provided results with DRG search while less than 10 institutions used CPT and keyword searches. There was an average of 226,190 (range 304-1,121,876) rows of data per file. Average charges varied depending on the use of DRG, CPT or keyword searches ($6,663-$117,072). CONCLUSION: The majority of compliant hospitals published large data files requiring the use of DRG codes to find cost information with extreme variation in resultant charges provided. These findings underscore the lack of direct patient benefit afforded by the current mandate, as pricing determinations require expert knowledge in medical coding and have a high variability in the reported charges.

Paradoxos na divulgação de salários de servidores em municípios / Paradojas en la difusión de información sobre los sueldos de los funcionarios por los municipios / Paradoxes on the disclosure of civil servants' salary information by local governments

Resumo A folha de pagamento é uma das maiores despesas do município, porém uma das mais difíceis de serem monitoradas. Se a divulgação dos salários de servidores é de interesse público para controle, a divulgação das despesas com pessoal, na forma como previsto em lei, pode não ser suficiente para detectar diversos tipos de irregularidades. Analisamos os paradoxos envolvidos na divulgação de dados da folha de pagamento e as tensões que emergem do posicionamento de diversos interessados na questão. Entrevistamos profissionais de prefeituras, sindicatos, empresas de softwares, tribunais de contas, organizações sociais e jornalistas. Procuramos reunir diversas perspectivas e interesses envolvidos na divulgação de salários e benefícios de servidores como exemplo dos desafios de ampliar a transparência pública. Com abordagem indutiva, apresentamos uma lista não exaustiva de irregularidades que reconhecidamente ocorrem no país e que, por não serem detectadas apenas com os dados divulgados nos portais de transparência, demandam cooperação entre diversos atores de controle.

Resumen La nómina es uno de los mayores gastos del municipio, pero también es uno de los más difíciles de monitorear. Si la divulgación de los salarios de los funcionarios públicos es de interés público para su control, la divulgación de los gastos en personal según lo dispuesto por la ley puede no ser suficiente para identificar algunas irregularidades. Analizamos las paradojas presentes en la apertura de dichos datos y las tensiones que surgen del posicionamiento de los diferentes interesados en el asunto. Entrevistamos a profesionales de alcaldías, sindicatos, empresas de software, tribunales de cuentas, organizaciones sociales y periodistas para reunir diversas perspectivas e intereses involucrados en la divulgación de sueldos y beneficios de los servidores públicos como ejemplo de los desafíos para ampliar la transparencia pública. Con un enfoque inductivo, presentamos una lista no exhaustiva de las irregularidades que a menudo ocurren en Brasil que, por no ser detectadas simplemente a través de los datos publicados en los portales de transparencia, exigen la cooperación entre los diferentes agentes de control para combinar múltiples fuentes de datos y evidencias.

Abstract: Although local governments' payrolls are a significant expense, they are one of the most difficult to monitor. The disclosure of civil servants' salaries to improve control is a measure of public interest, but the mere information on the government's personnel expenses as provided by law may not be sufficient to detect irregularities. This study analyzes the paradoxes of disclosing salary information and the tensions among the parties related to this issue. We interviewed local government employees, unions, software companies, courts of accounts, nonprofit organizations, and journalists, gathering different interests and perspectives, addressing the issue as an example of the challenges to improve public transparency. Based on an inductive approach, the research offers a non-exhaustive list of irregularities in Brazil that are not detected by simply disclosing information in transparency portals. Our findings point out that detecting and addressing such irregularities require the cooperation of several control agents to combine multiple data sources and evidence.

Hospital Charges Are Not Associated With Episode-of-Care Costs or Complications After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now requires hospitals to publish charges for commonly performed procedures. This study aimed to evaluate compliance with the price transparency mandate and to determine if there is a correlation between hospital charges and episode-of-care claims costs and outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: We identified a consecutive series of 2476 Medicare patients who underwent primary THA or TKA from 2018 to 2019 at one of 18 hospitals. Each hospital website was explored to assess compliance with the new price transparency requirements. Demographics, comorbidities, complications, and readmissions were recorded. Ninety-day episode-of-care claims costs were calculated using CMS claims data. Multivariate regression was performed to determine whether hospital charges had any association with complications, readmissions, or episode-of-care costs. RESULTS: There was no correlation between published hospital charges and inpatient costs (r = 0.087), postacute care costs (r = 0.126), or episode-of-care costs (r = 0.131). When controlling for demographics and comorbidities, there was no association between published charges and complications (P = .433) or readmissions (P = .141). All hospitals posted some shoppable services information online, but only 7 (39%) were fully compliant by publishing all price data. Of the 11 hospitals (61%) publishing hospital THA and TKA charges, the mean charge was $48,325 (range, $12,625-$79,531). CONCLUSION: Published charges for TKA and THA had no correlation with episode-of-care claims costs and were not associated with clinical outcomes. Despite efforts by CMS to increase price transparency, few hospitals were fully compliant, and a wide range in published charges was found.

Transparency of data on the value chain of medicines in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.

Introduction: The transparency of data on the value chain of medicines is crucial for the study and monitoring of the pharmaceutical system. These data may impact medicine pricing negotiations, contribute to patient access to pharmaceutical products, and strengthen health systems. Objective: This study analyzed the national strategies to ensure the transparency of data from medicine cost development to marketing in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. Method: A descriptive study was carried out by searching databases, reports, documents, and scientific articles published between January and August 2022 related to rules on transparency and databases, including 1) marketing authorization; 2) pricing; 3) intellectual property; 4) clinical trials; 5) research and development (R&D); and 6) health technology assessment (HTA) of selected biopharmaceuticals. Results: Transparency data, rules, and information are not uniform. The infostructures (organizational capacity for collecting and distributing information) regarding the pharmaceutical value chain in these three countries face limitations in appropriate measures to publicly share data and evidence, including pre-clinical data, clinical data, and costs. None of the countries require transparency about data on research and development costs. All three countries present similar publicization of data on marketing authorization and intellectual property, with some differences. The significant limitations in Argentina include the absence of formal price regulation and data on the volume of medicine purchased and respective amounts paid. Among the three countries, Brazil showed a higher degree of information transparency, perhaps due to the legal regulation that guarantees citizens access to information of public interest. Brazil also stands out in terms of the public availability of HTA reports and pricing, in addition to the highest volume of information. In contrast, Colombia has in place a decree that allows 5 years of trial data exclusivity for new medicines, an act contrary to data transparency. Despite the different stages of transparency, no country has evidenced a robust use of these data in public policy decision-making. Conclusion: The results reinforce the presence of information asymmetry between stakeholders, data fragmentation, data gaps and overlap, and difficulty in comparing available data across the three countries and the use of these data nationally to produce evidence.