Academic research challenges in Brazil and its impairment by COVID-19 pandemic: a medical students point of view / O impacto da pandêmica COVID-19 na iniciação científica brasileira: ponto de vista de estudantes de medicina

ABSTRACT: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures, which have not been experienced in the world in the last hundred years, have impacted academic scientific production, which, in Brazil, was already in the process of progressive erosion of its foundations. Thus, scientific initiation during medical graduation, which depends on funding and institutional structure, and extremely beneficial to the graduation process, was jeopardized due to restrictive measures. Objective: This article aims to expose the point of view of undergraduate medical students enrolled in a scientific initiation program about the panorama of Brazilian academic scientific production and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in its multiple aspects. Discussion: The lack of an effective scientific initiation is one of the many factors that lead to a decline in the number of medical researchers. The way that scientific initiation is placed, as part of a parallel curriculum, and a whole scrapped public production structure are impairing, chronic and noteworthy features. The apparatus of national scientific production is mostly structured in Higher Education Institutions and research institutions, both public. Within the scope of graduation, it can be didactically subdivided into four pillars: financial support, structure, student proactivity and the advisor's aptitude. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an additional blow to this weakened and fragile structure. Scientific initiation was thus negatively impacted. Public opinion and political aspects further influence an imbroglio of "scientific denial" and a craving for effective information and solutions to the unprecedented problem of a pandemic of this proportion. Conclusion: It is clear that national scientific production is placed in a survival situation in the face of new challenges posed by the pandemic. Likewise, scientific initiation is less and less stimulating during graduation, even though it is an experience of great value in medical and personal development. (AU)

RESUMO: Introdução: A pandemia pelo COVID-19 e suas medidas de controle, não vivenciadas no mundo nos últimos cem anos, impactou a produção científica acadêmica, a qual, no Brasil, já se encontrava em processo de erosão progressiva de seus alicerces. Por conseguinte, a iniciação científica durante a graduação, extremamente benéfica na formação médica, que é dependente de fomento e estrutura institucional, sofreu um impacto negativo com as medidas restritivas. Objetivo: O artigo discorre em um ponto de vista de estudantes de medicina, envolvidos em pesquisas, acerca do panorama da produção científica acadêmica brasileira e o impacto perante a pandemia COVID-19 em seus múltiplos aspectos. Discussão: A falta de uma iniciação científica efetiva é um dos muitos fatores que levam ao declínio do número de médicos pesquisadores. Nesse ínterim, o modo como a iniciação científica está inserida, como parte de um currículo paralelo, e toda uma estrutura de produção pública sucateada são aspectos danosos, crônicos e dignos de nota. O aparato de produção científica nacional é majoritariamente estruturado nas instituições de ensino superior e institutos de pesquisa, ambas públicas. No âmbito da graduação, pode ser didaticamente subdividido em quatro pilares: fomento, estrutura, proatividade do estudante e aptidão do orientador. A pandemia do COVID-19 tem sido um golpe adicional a essa estrutura debilitada e frágil. A iniciação científica foi, com isso, negativamente impactada. A opinião pública e aspectos políticos influenciam adicionalmente em um imbróglio de "negacionismo científico" e anseio por informações e soluções eficazes para o problema inédito de uma pandemia dessa proporção. Conclusão: Percebe-se que produção científica nacional é colocada numa situação de sobrevivência diante de novos desafios postos pela pandemia. Da mesma forma, a iniciação científica é cada vez menos estimuladora durante a graduação, apesar de ser uma experiência de grande valor na formação médica e pessoal. (AU)

Spatio-temporal distribution of human American visceral leishmaniasis in the Western region of Sao Paulo State, from 2004 to 2018.

Leishmaniasis comprises a group of zoonotic diseases caused by protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus, noting that the visceral form is the most severe and lethal, if untreated. Nowadays visceral leishmaniasis is widespread in Brazil and the Adamantina microregion, located in the west of Sao Paulo State, has been affected by Human American Visceral Leishmaniasis (HAVL) since 2004. We evaluated the epidemiological profile of HAVL in the Adamantina microregion through a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and established its incidence rate by location and time. Notified cases were provided by the Sao Paulo State Epidemiological Surveillance Center. Home addresses of patients who tested positive to HAVL were converted into geographic coordinates through the Google Geocoding Application Programming Interface submitted to ArcMap 10.5 System for georeferencing. Kernel spatial analyses were performed to obtain the incidence distribution and the total area involvement rate. From 2004 to 2018, 325 cases of HAVL were diagnosed in 11 of the 12 municipalities belonging to the of Adamantina microregion. The disease has disseminated to the Northwest and East-Southeast directions, taking place along the Comandante Joao Ribeiro de Barros highway, with higher incidences rates in the municipalities where the highway passes. HAVL incidence was higher in children aged between 0 to 9 years and in the elderly; there was no difference in relation to sex and the majority of cases were located in urban areas. The determination of the epidemiological profile and the the spread of disease patterns can indicate possible areas of vulnerability, in order to contribute to the management and prevention of the disease through a strategic resources optimization.

Evaluation of Indigo carmine on hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of treatment with Indigo Carmine (IC) on rat livers subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: The animals were subdivided into 4 groups: 1.SHAM group(SH) - saline; 2.SHAM group with IC-2mg/Kg(SHIC); 3.IR group - rats submitted to ischemia and reperfusion with saline(IR); 4.IR group with IC-2mg/Kg(IRIC). The IR protocol consists of liver exposure and administration of drug or saline intravenously, followed by 60 minutes of ischemia and 15 of reperfusion. Liver samples were collected for biochemical analysis. RESULTS: State 3 of mitochondrial respiration showed a significant worsening of the IRIC group in relation to all others. State 4 showed a difference between IRIC and SHIC. The Respiratory Control Ratio showed statistical decrease in IR and IRIC versus Sham. The osmotic swelling showed significant difference between SHxIR; SHICxIRIC and SHxIRIC. There was a significant increase in ALT in the IRIC group in relation to all the others. Concerning the nitrate dosage, there was a decrease in the group treated with IC(IRxIRIC). There was no difference regarding the dosage of Malondialdehyde. CONCLUSION: IC was not able to protect mitochondria from IR injury and proved to be a potentiating agent, acting in synergy with the IR injury promoting damage to the hepatocyte membranes.

Evaluation of Indigo carmine on hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effects of treatment with Indigo Carmine (IC) on rat livers subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods The animals were subdivided into 4 groups: 1.SHAM group(SH) - saline; 2.SHAM group with IC-2mg/Kg(SHIC); 3.IR group - rats submitted to ischemia and reperfusion with saline(IR); 4.IR group with IC-2mg/Kg(IRIC). The IR protocol consists of liver exposure and administration of drug or saline intravenously, followed by 60 minutes of ischemia and 15 of reperfusion. Liver samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Results State 3 of mitochondrial respiration showed a significant worsening of the IRIC group in relation to all others. State 4 showed a difference between IRIC and SHIC. The Respiratory Control Ratio showed statistical decrease in IR and IRIC versus Sham. The osmotic swelling showed significant difference between SHxIR; SHICxIRIC and SHxIRIC. There was a significant increase in ALT in the IRIC group in relation to all the others. Concerning the nitrate dosage, there was a decrease in the group treated with IC(IRxIRIC). There was no difference regarding the dosage of Malondialdehyde. Conclusion IC was not able to protect mitochondria from IR injury and proved to be a potentiating agent, acting in synergy with the IR injury promoting damage to the hepatocyte membranes.