Development of an Unified Food Composition Database for the European Project "Stance4Health".

The European Commission funded project Stance4Health (S4H) aims to develop a complete personalised nutrition service. In order to succeed, sources of information on nutritional composition and other characteristics of foods need to be as comprehensive as possible. Food composition tables or databases (FCT/FCDB) are the most commonly used tools for this purpose. The aim of this study is to describe the harmonisation efforts carried out to obtain the Stance4Health FCDB. A total of 10 FCT/FCDB were selected from different countries and organizations. Data were classified using FoodEx2 and INFOODS tagnames to harmonise the information. Hazard analysis and critical control points analysis was applied as the quality control method. Data were processed by spreadsheets and MySQL. S4H's FCDB is composed of 880 elements, including nutrients and bioactive compounds. A total of 2648 unified foods were used to complete the missing values of the national FCDB used. Recipes and dishes were estimated following EuroFIR standards via linked tables. S4H's FCDB will be part of the smartphone app developed in the framework of the Stance4Health European project, which will be used in different personalized nutrition intervention studies. S4H FCDB has great perspectives, being one of the most complete in terms of number of harmonized foods, nutrients and bioactive compounds included.

Qualitative analysis of actual Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data (SEND) datasets for Data Domains: Proposition from Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association SEND Taskforce Team on standardization of nonclinical data.

The Standard for Exchange of Nonclinical Data (SEND) has been adopted by the US FDA, which has required pharmaceutical companies who are developing new drugs for the US market to implement SEND. The Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) SEND Taskforce Team responded to this situation by starting a project to better understand the contents of SEND datasets. The project focused on domains generally included in the SEND domains for single- and repeat-dose general toxicology studies, and surveyed what kind of information are populated in which domains and in what way. The qualitative analysis of the results indicated that variations exist based on whether or not an individual variable was populated and on how the variable was populated. The Taskforce Team recommends reducing variations not only in the SEND datasets but also in the descriptions in the study protocol and/or final study report. Reduction of such variations should lead to higher quality datasets with powerful and increased searchability so that accumulated SEND datasets should become more valuable. These efforts would provide regulatory agencies with easier review of SEND datasets, which contributes to efficient development of new drug candidates.

Quantifying and contextualizing the impact of bioRxiv preprints through automated social media audience segmentation.

Engagement with scientific manuscripts is frequently facilitated by Twitter and other social media platforms. As such, the demographics of a paper's social media audience provide a wealth of information about how scholarly research is transmitted, consumed, and interpreted by online communities. By paying attention to public perceptions of their publications, scientists can learn whether their research is stimulating positive scholarly and public thought. They can also become aware of potentially negative patterns of interest from groups that misinterpret their work in harmful ways, either willfully or unintentionally, and devise strategies for altering their messaging to mitigate these impacts. In this study, we collected 331,696 Twitter posts referencing 1,800 highly tweeted bioRxiv preprints and leveraged topic modeling to infer the characteristics of various communities engaging with each preprint on Twitter. We agnostically learned the characteristics of these audience sectors from keywords each user's followers provide in their Twitter biographies. We estimate that 96% of the preprints analyzed are dominated by academic audiences on Twitter, suggesting that social media attention does not always correspond to greater public exposure. We further demonstrate how our audience segmentation method can quantify the level of interest from nonspecialist audience sectors such as mental health advocates, dog lovers, video game developers, vegans, bitcoin investors, conspiracy theorists, journalists, religious groups, and political constituencies. Surprisingly, we also found that 10% of the preprints analyzed have sizable (>5%) audience sectors that are associated with right-wing white nationalist communities. Although none of these preprints appear to intentionally espouse any right-wing extremist messages, cases exist in which extremist appropriation comprises more than 50% of the tweets referencing a given preprint. These results present unique opportunities for improving and contextualizing the public discourse surrounding scientific research.

How phantom databases could contribute to conservation assessments.

Reliable data are needed to produce representative and useful conservation assessments for species. To this end, taxonomists and their unpublished, archived and unused databases-here called phantom databases-have great relevance for assessing the conservation status of species. Taxonomist's phantom databases are usually the result of a review work, and, if made available, they could be used to assess a species conservation status with greater accuracy, allowing for more effective conservation planning. Here we characterise these databases, provide examples of their relevance and recommend solutions to make these phantom databases available for conservation use. Databases of taxonomic and geographic information need not be phantom and could be made openly accessible to encourage their use in conservation activities.

Reliability and validity of the UK Biobank cognitive tests.

UK Biobank is a health resource with data from over 500,000 adults. The cognitive assessment in UK Biobank is brief and bespoke, and is administered without supervision on a touchscreen computer. Psychometric information on the UK Biobank cognitive tests are limited. Despite the non-standard nature of these tests and the limited psychometric information, the UK Biobank cognitive data have been used in numerous scientific publications. The present study examined the validity and short-term test-retest reliability of the UK Biobank cognitive tests. A sample of 160 participants (mean age = 62.59, SD = 10.24) was recruited who completed the UK Biobank cognitive assessment and a range of well-validated cognitive tests ('reference tests'). Fifty-two participants returned 4 weeks later to repeat the UK Biobank tests. Correlations were calculated between UK Biobank tests and reference tests. Two measures of general cognitive ability were created by entering scores on the UK Biobank cognitive tests, and scores on the reference tests, respectively, into separate principal component analyses and saving scores on the first principal component. Four-week test-retest correlations were calculated for UK Biobank tests. UK Biobank cognitive tests showed a range of correlations with their respective reference tests, i.e. those tests that are thought to assess the same underlying cognitive ability (mean Pearson r = 0.53, range = 0.22 to 0.83, p≤.005). The measure of general cognitive ability based on the UK Biobank cognitive tests correlated at r = 0.83 (p < .001) with a measure of general cognitive ability created using the reference tests. Four-week test-retest reliability of the UK Biobank tests were moderate-to-high (mean Pearson r = 0.55, range = 0.40 to 0.89, p≤.003). Despite the brief, non-standard nature of the UK Biobank cognitive tests, some tests showed substantial concurrent validity and test-retest reliability. These psychometric results provide currently-lacking information on the validity of the UK Biobank cognitive tests.

Professional standards in bibliometric research evaluation? A meta-evaluation of European assessment practice 2005-2019.

Despite growing demand for practicable methods of research evaluation, the use of bibliometric indicators remains controversial. This paper examines performance assessment practice in Europe-first, identifying the most commonly used bibliometric methods and, second, identifying the actors who have defined wide-spread practices. The framework of this investigation is Abbott's theory of professions, and I argue that indicator-based research assessment constitutes a potential jurisdiction for both individual experts and expert organizations. This investigation was conducted using a search methodology that yielded 138 evaluation studies from 21 EU countries, covering the period 2005 to 2019. Structured content analysis revealed the following findings: (1) Bibliometric research assessment is most frequently performed in the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom. (2) The Web of Science (WoS) is the dominant database used for public research assessment in Europe. (3) Expert organizations invest in the improvement of WoS citation data, and set technical standards with regards to data quality. (4) Citation impact is most frequently assessed with reference to international scientific fields. (5) The WoS classification of science fields retained its function as a de facto reference standard for research performance assessment. A detailed comparison of assessment practices between five dedicated organizations and other individual bibliometric experts suggests that corporate ownership and limited access to the most widely used citation databases have had a restraining effect on the development and diffusion of professional bibliometric methods during this period.

Surgical Trends in the Treatment of Lisfranc Injuries Using the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Certification Examination Database.

Background: Lisfranc joint complex injury may be managed surgically by either an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or primary arthrodesis (PA). Published literature advocates PA for purely ligamentous injuries, but many surgeons in actuality refrain from performing PA. The purpose of the study is to assess surgeon practices and behavior in managing Lisfranc injuries due to the influence of peer reviewed literature with the help of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) database. Methods: Data were requested from the ABOS database of cases on Lisfranc joint injury requiring either an ORIF or PA from examination year 2004 to 2017 for both part II and maintenance of certification (MOC) examinees. Cases with ICD-9 code 838.03 only were considered as primarily ligamentous and all fracture codes classified under 825 with 838.03 were considered as fracture dislocation. The number of PA and ORIF were recorded for both types of examinees and specific type of Lisfranc joint injury (primarily ligamentous and fracture dislocation). Results: A total of 2010 cases of Lisfranc joint injuries managed surgically by 1230 board-eligible orthopaedic surgeons. Open fractures (93) and non-/malunion fractures were excluded. A total of 1016 primarily ligamentous and 474 fracture dislocation cases were performed by part II examinees. Overall, 288 primarily ligamentous and 139 fracture dislocation cases were performed by MOC examinees. A total of 27 PA were performed in the primarily ligamentous and 17 were performed on fracture dislocation cases. Conclusion: ORIF is commonly performed by newly trained and senior orthopaedic surgeons. There was no change in the number of PA performed on primarily ligamentous injuries in spite of the published literature.Levels of Evidence: Not applicable.

The Firearms Data Gap.

The firearms data infrastructure in the United States is severely limited in scope and fragmented in nature. Improved data systems are needed in order to address gun violence and promote productive conversation about gun policy. In the absence of federal leadership in firearms data systems improvement, motivated states may take proactive steps to stitch gaps in data systems. We propose that states evaluate the gaps in their systems, expand data collection, and improve data presentation and availability.

[Are studies of claims databases reproducible? The hypothesis of an instituted ethical misconduct in public health]. / Les études portant sur les bases de données médico-administratives sont-elles reproductibles ? - L'hypothèse d'une inconduite éthique en santé publique.

Methodological reproducibility refers to the ability to reproduce exactly the same results by reproducing the same study protocol on the same data. The aim of this study was to assess the methodological reproducibility of studies published in the Revue d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique between 2008 and 2017 and using data from the national health data system. Our results suggest that only 49% of the studies could be replicated without the help of the authors. The results may reveal a lack of concern about the purpose of public health research. It is difficult to attribute responsibility for this default of reproducibility solely to researchers, so we hypothesize an instituted ethical misconduct.

TITLE: Les études portant sur les bases de données médico-administratives sont-elles reproductibles ? - L'hypothèse d'une inconduite éthique en santé publique. ABSTRACT: La reproductibilité méthodologique fait référence à la capacité à obtenir exactement les mêmes résultats, en reproduisant le même protocole d'étude sur les mêmes données. Nous avons voulu évaluer la reproductibilité méthodologique des études publiées entre 2008 et 2017 dans la Revue d'épidémiologie et de santé publique, qui font appel à des données issues du système national des données de santé. Nos résultats suggèrent que seules 49 % des études portant sur ce système national pourraient être reproduites sans le recours aux auteurs initiaux. L'absence de partage systématique des programmes peut révéler un manque de préoccupation quant à la finalité de la recherche en santé publique. Il est difficile d'attribuer la responsabilité de ce manque de reproductibilité aux seuls chercheurs, et nous faisons donc l'hypothèse d'une inconduite éthique instituée.

Forever young: The successful story of a marine biotic index.

In 2000, the AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) was published and was one of a number of marine benthic indices development to assess the ecological status of soft-bottom macroinvertebrates. This index, and its derivatives, has been very successful in its application to different geographical areas, across the world, as well as to different environments, from the intertidal to the abyssal, or from tidal freshwater to offshore habitats. In this review, we explain the story behind the AMBI development, and look for an explanation of the index's success. For doing that, we comment on the current practicalities of the index, we present the new AMBI species list, with 9251 taxa, we dismantle six myths around this index, and examine the past and the future of the index. We show that the solid ecological roots of the index make it a robust tool to assess the status of marine benthic communities, at any time and environment. Hence, we think that it will be 'forever young' helping managers in taking informed decisions to improve benthic marine systems.

International Collaborative Assessment of the Validity of the EAONO-JOS Cholesteatoma Staging System.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of validity of the Japanese Otological Society and the European Academy of Otology and Neurotology (EAONO-JOS) cholesteatoma staging system (EJS) through international collaboration to investigate: (a) feasibility of retrospectively staging previously acquired data, (b) strengths and weaknesses of the staging system. METHOD: Nine centers with prospective cholesteatoma databases were recruited. Cases were allocated to EJS Stage at each center using details from time of initial surgery. An independent rater also staged the cases and noted any discrepancies. At one center results from database staging were compared with staging based on contemporaneous operative records. Inter and intrarater reliabilities were calculated, and recidivism rates calculated according to Stage. RESULTS: Of 1482 cases of cholesteatoma, 320 (22%) were Stage 1, 977 (67%) Stage 2, 153 (11%) Stage 3 and 4 (0.3%) Stage 4. No database contained details of all parameters required for accurate staging. Staging discrepancies occurred in >10% cases but inter and intrarater reliability of staging were high (Kappa 0.8; 95% confidence interval between 0.7-0.9). At 5 years, 11% had residual and 8% had recurrent cholesteatoma: rates increased with Stage but generally not significantly (Kaplan-Meier Log Rank analysis). CONCLUSION: The EJS Staging system provides an internationally agreed standard for collecting data to classify cholesteatoma severity. Although data can be applied retrospectively with reasonable reliability, prospective data collection would prevent inaccuracies that arise from missing data fields. To enhance validity of the EJS system, we propose clearer definitions of some categories. Refinements to definitions of stage may improve prognostic utility of the EJS but should be made using evidence powered by large-scale collaboration.

Medio siglo de ANALES DE PEDIATRÍA. Evolución de sus principales indicadores bibliométricos en las bases de datos internacionales Web of Science y Scopus / Half a century of ANALES DE PEDIATRÍA. Evolution of its main bibliometric indicators in the Web of Science and Scopus international databases

Objetivo: Analizar la cobertura y los principales indicadores bibliométricos de ANALES DE PEDIATRÍA en las bases de datos Scopus y Science Citation Index Expanded de la Web of Science (SCIE). Material y método: Se identificó la evolución de la producción de la revista según los tipos documentales, los índices de colaboración entre autores e instituciones y los indicadores de citación e impacto (número de citas, factor de impacto, factor de impacto de 5años y sin autocitas, Scimago Journal Rank, cuartil, índice h y trabajos más citados). Resultados: Se han incluido 10.128 trabajos en Scopus (225 anuales de media) y 1.861 en SCIE (207 anuales de media). El índice de colaboración de los autores ha sido de 4,4 y el de las instituciones, de 2. La colaboración internacional se ha producido en el 4,2% de los trabajos. El número de citas recibidas en Scopus (619) supera en 234 las citas recibidas en SCIE (385). El promedio de citas por trabajo ha sido inferior en SCIE (2,27 en Scopus frente a 1,5 en SCIE). El índice h ha sido de 18 en Scopus y de 14 en SCIE. Conclusiones: Se observaron discrepancias en los indicadores obtenidos en ambas bases de datos debido a las diferentes políticas de indexación, cobertura y métodos de clasificación de los trabajos. El número de citas, el promedio de citas por trabajo y el índice h han sido más altos en Scopus debido a la mayor pervivencia de la revista en esa base de datos. Se observa una evolución positiva del factor de impacto en SCIE, del factor de impacto excluyendo las autocitas y del factor de impacto de 5 años

Purpose: To analyse the coverage and main bibliometric indicators of ANALES DE PEDIATRÍA in Scopus and Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science (SCIE) databases. Material and method: The evolution of the journal production was identified according to the document types, collaboration indexes between authors and institutions, and citations, and impact indicators (number of citations, impact factor, 5-years impact factor and without self-citations, Scimago Journal Rank, quartile, h index and most cited works). Results: A total of 10,128 papers were included in Scopus (a mean of around 225 per year) and 1,861 in SCIE (a mean of around 207 per year). The index of collaboration was 4.4 for authors and 2 for institutions. There was international collaboration in 4.2% of the papers. The number of citations received in Scopus (619) exceeded the number of citations received in SCIE (385) by 234. The mean number of citations per paper was lower in SCIE (2.27 in Scopus compared to 1.5 in SCIE). The h index was 18 in Scopus and 14 in SCIE. Conclusions: Discrepancies were observed in the indicators obtained in both databases due to the different indexation policies, coverage, and classification methods of the papers. The number of citations, the mean number of citations per work, and the h index were higher in Scopus due to the longer life of the journal in that database. There is a positive evolution of the impact factor in SCIE, of the impact factor excluding self-citations, and of the 5-year impact factor

[Databases in neurological diseases: overview of international examples in multiple sclerosis]. / Nagy adatbázisok neurológiai kórképekben: nemzetközi áttekintés a sclerosis multiplex példáján.

Vast amounts of data are created during routine patient care which are stored in unstructured digital and hardcopy formats in healthcare institutions. Analysis of large databases help to define the healthcare needs of the population and to organize healthcare services for specific diseases. As a model, we selected multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease with well-defined diagnostic criteria, a usually inpatient initial diagnosis, and a need for regular outpatient check-up. Using multiple sclerosis as an example, we set forth to screen and analyze international and Hungarian databases. In the framework of the initiation of the data lake system of Semmelweis University, we aim to define features of the data system needed for disease-specific databases for future applications. To determine essential data-entry criteria for such a database, we review the most important multiple sclerosis registries. We evaluate the type of registered data, structure of database, privacy issues, the availability and ways of application of the databases. Initially, the MS databases were created locally, aiming for better care of patients. As a further step, data were collected for scientific research by national and international co-operations. Disease-specific databases have become of high priority for national healthcare providers, and long-term information on a population ("real-world" data) is extremely important to assess the effectivity and safety of a treatment at the population level. Our analysis contributes to a project which focuses on the aspects of developing a data lake at a service provider level including clinical, diagnostic and digital healthcare departments of Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(4): 123-130.

[Multiple sclerosis in central Hungary: experiences and future possibilities of developing a local database]. / Sclerosis multiplex a közép-magyarországi régióban: a helyi adatbázisfejlesztés tapasztalatai és jövobeli lehetoségei.

INTRODUCTION: Data during routine patient care are created in multiple digital and paper-based hardcopy systems, therefore their retrieval is cumbersome in the follow-up of patients. Multiple sclerosis is the most prevalent neurological disorder in the young age, with major consequences on health and socio-economic status. AIM: We set forth to create a user-friendly, detailed local database where it is easy to access, register and analyze data. Based on our experiences during building this registry, we develop the model of a modern type of database. METHOD: First we established a local registry in Excel, then data were transferred to the worldwide used iMed system. Separate pages were used to register basic data, follow-up visits, relapses, accompanying diseases, results of neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid, evoked response and other tests, pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. RESULTS: The database currently contains data of 316 patients. MRI was performed in 96%, cerebrospinal fluid examination in 45% of the patients. The rate of primary progressive disease at disease onset is 9%. Disease modifying treatments were applied in 82% of the patients. CONCLUSION: The traditional manual data entry and data export in PDF format is obsolete and time-consuming. The development of local disease-specific databases appropriate for clinical and research purposes requires continuous and mostly automatic data entry. In future local registries the establishment of uniform documentational language and structure, and automatic transfer of information among different digital systems are required. We present the model of such a registry, which is based on a healthcare data lake. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(4): 131-137.

The use of an electronic health record system reduces errors in the National Hip Fracture Database.

AIM: to compare the validity of data submitted from a UK level 1 trauma centre to the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) before and after the introduction of an electronic health record system (EHRS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: a total of 3224 records were reviewed from July 2009 to July 2017. 2,133 were submitted between July 2009 and October 2014 and 1,091 between October 2014 and July 2017, representing data submitted before and after the introduction of the EHRS, respectively. Data submitted to the NHFD were scrutinised against locally held data. RESULTS: use of an EHRS was associated with significant reductions in NHFD errors. The operation coding error rate fell significantly from 23.2% (494/2133) to 7.6% (83/1091); P < 0.001. Prior to EHRS introduction, of the 109 deaths recorded in the NHFD, 64 (59%) were incorrect. In the EHRS dataset, all the 112 recorded deaths were correct (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the error rate for fracture coding. In the EHRS dataset, after controlling for sample month, entries utilising an operation note template with mandatory fields relevant to NHFD data were more likely to be error free than those not using the template (OR 2.69; 95% CI 1.92-3.78). CONCLUSION: this study highlights a potential benefit of EHR systems, which offer automated data collection for auditing purposes. However, errors in data submitted to the NHFD remain, particularly in cases where an NHFD-specific operation note template is not used. Clinician engagement with new technologies is vital to avoid human error and ensure database integrity.

Bibliometría e indicadores de actividad científica (XI). Otros recursos útiles en la evaluación: Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, 1findr, Dimensions y Lens.org / Bibliometrics and indicators of scientific activity (XI): Other useful resources in the evaluation: Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, 1findr, Dimensions and Lens.org

Para acceder a los criterios de calidad de las publicaciones científicas se necesitan recursos que sistematicen y organicen la información, con el fin de que pueda consultarse de la manera más rápida y efectiva posible. Actualmente, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) y Scopus (Elsevier), junto con sus herramientas de impacto Journal Citation Reports (JCR) y SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR), respectivamente, son los recursos más utilizados. Sin embargo, en la última década han surgido nuevas iniciativas de distintas procedencias que ofrecen servicios para el mismo fin, pero con diferentes matices. Este trabajo pretende dar a conocer 7 herramientas que presentan información científica e indicios de calidad, aparte de Web of Science y Scopus. Los recursos que se describen son Google Scholar, Google Scholar Citations, Google Scholar Metrics, Microsoft Academic, Lens.org, 1findr y Dimensions, haciendo hincapié en dónde se encuentra localizado el indicador de calidad que ofrece. Además del indicador habitual "citas recibidas", se señalan otros, como el índice h, el índice h5, las altmétricas o las citas recibidas por patentes

To access the quality criteria of scientific publications, resources are needed to systematize and organize the information, so that it can be consulted as quickly and effectively as possible. Currently, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) and Scopus (Elsevier), together with their impact indicators Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR), respectively, are the most used. However, in the last decade new initiatives have emerged from different sources that offer services for the same purpose, but with different features. This work aims to show seven tools which offer scientific information and quality indicators, beyond Web of Science and Scopus. The resources described are Google Scholar, Google Scholar Citations, Google Scholar Metrics, Microsoft Academic, Lens.org, 1findr and Dimensions, emphasizing the location of the quality indicator that it offers. In addition to the usual "citations received" indicator, others such as the h index, the h5 index, the altmetrics or the citations received by patents are indicated

[Simulation and comparison of techniques for the correction of incomplete data on age to calculate incidence rates]. / Simulação e comparação de técnicas de correção de dados incompletos de idade para o cálculo de taxas de incidência.

The objective was to compare two techniques to estimate age in databases with incomplete records and analyze their application to the calculation of cancer incidence. The study used the database of the Population-Based Cancer Registry from the city of São Paulo, Brazil, containing cases of urinary tract cancer diagnosed from 1997 to 2013. Two techniques were applied to estimate age: correction factor and multiple imputation. Using binomial distribution, six databases were simulated with different proportions of incomplete data on patient's age (from 5% to 50%). The ratio between the incidence rates was calculated, using the complete database as reference, whose standardized incidence was 11.83/100,000; the other incidence rates in the databases, with at least 5% incomplete data for age, were underestimated. By applying the correction factors, the corrected rates did not differ from the standardized rates, but this technique does not allow correcting specific rates. Multiple imputation was useful for correcting the standardized and specific rates in databases with up to 30% of incomplete data, but the specific rates for individuals under 50 years of age were underestimated. Databases with 5% incomplete data or more require correction. Although the implementation of multiple imputation is complex, it proved to be superior to the correction factor. However, it should be used sparingly, since age-specific rates may remain underestimated.

O objetivo foi comparar duas técnicas para estimar idade em bancos de dados com registros incompletos e analisar sua aplicação no cálculo da incidência de câncer. Utilizou-se a base de dados do Registro de Câncer de Base Populacional do Município de São Paulo, Brasil, contendo casos diagnosticados por câncer do trato urinário, entre 1997 e 2013. Foram aplicadas duas técnicas para estimativa de idade: fator de correção e imputação múltipla. Foram simuladas, usando a distribuição binomial, seis bases de dados com diferentes proporções de dados incompletos para idade de 5% até 50%. A razão entre as incidências foi calculada tendo, como referência, a base completa, cuja incidência padronizada foi de 11,83/100 mil; as demais incidências nas bases com 5% ou mais de dados incompletos para idade apresentaram-se subestimadas. Ao aplicar o fator de correção, as taxas corrigidas não apresentaram diferenças em comparação com as padronizadas, entretanto, essa técnica não permite corrigir taxas específicas. A imputação múltipla foi útil na correção das taxas padronizadas e específicas em bancos com até 30% de dados incompletos, entretanto, as taxas específicas para indivíduos com menos de 50 anos apresentaram-se subestimadas. Bases com 5% ou mais de dados incompletos necessitam de aplicação de correção. A imputação múltipla, apesar de complexa em sua execução, mostrou-se superior ao fator de correção. Todavia, deve ser utilizada com parcimônia, pois taxas específicas por idade podem manter-se subestimadas.

El objetivo fue comparar dos técnicas para estimar edad en bancos de datos con registros incompletos y analizar su aplicación en el cálculo de la incidencia de cáncer. Se utilizó la base de datos del Registro de Cáncer de Base Poblacional del municipio de São Paulo, Brasil, conteniendo casos diagnosticados de cáncer del tracto urinario, entre 1997 y 2013. Se aplicaron dos técnicas para la estimativa de edad: factor de corrección e imputación múltiple. Fueron simuladas, usando una distribución binomial, seis bases de datos con diferentes proporciones de datos incompletos para edad desde un 5% hasta el 50%. La razón entre las incidencias se calculó teniendo, como referencia, la base completa, cuya incidencia padronizada fue de 11,83/100.000; las demás incidencias en las bases con un 5% o más de datos incompletos en la edad se presentaron subestimadas. Al aplicar el factor de corrección, las tasas corregidas no presentaron diferencias, en comparación con las estandarizadas, sin embargo, esta técnica no permite corregir tasas específicas. La imputación múltiple fue útil en la corrección de las tasas estandarizadas y específicas en bancos con hasta un 30% de datos incompletos, no obstante, las tasas específicas para individuos con menos de 50 años se presentaron subestimadas. Bases con un 5% o más de datos incompletos necesitan una aplicación de corrección. La imputación múltiple, a pesar de ser compleja en su ejecución, se mostró superior al factor de corrección. Sin embargo, debe ser utilizada con prudencia, puesto que las tasas específicas por edad pueden seguir manteniéndose subestimadas.

Fuentes de información de patentes y procedimiento para las búsquedas de libertad de acción en Cuba / Patent information sources and procedure for freedom-to-operate searches in Cuba

Objetivo: proponer un procedimiento metodológico para la realización de búsquedas de libertad de acción utilizando información técnica legal de documentos de patentes. Métodos: primeramente se caracterizaron numerosas bases de datos de patentes de acceso gratuito disponibles en internet (Patentescope®, Latipat, Espacenet, Invenes, Depatisnet, Lens.org y Patentinspiration) con respecto a la cobertura temporal y a la cantidad de patentes cubanas, y se identificaron y estudiaron dos fuentes de información que recogen estados legales de estas (INPADOC y WIPO Register Portal). Resultados: Patentscope® e Invenes se consideraron como las mejores bases, ya que permiten la búsqueda en el documento completo (título, resumen, descripción y reivindicaciones) mediante palabras clave; y Depatisnet se considera útil cuando se consulta mediante el Código Internacional de Patentes reclasificado por la Oficina de Patentes Alemana. No obstante, se recomienda el uso de todas las bases estudiadas para evadir errores relacionados con los contenidos y otras limitaciones relacionadas con las facilidades de búsqueda. A partir de las prestaciones detectadas en las fuentes de información analizadas, se implementó y perfeccionó un proceso de búsqueda sobre un medicamento preventivo contra el VIH/SIDA que demostró que existía libertad de acción en Cuba para su explotación, así como también la pertinencia de las herramientas y la metodología utilizadas para realizar este tipo de búsquedas. Conclusiones: este estudio de caso permite poner en práctica un procedimiento para realizar búsquedas y evidencia la importancia de la implementación del servicio de búsqueda libertad de acción para facilitar el acceso a invenciones patentadas, especialmente en el campo médico-farmacéutico(AU)

Objective: a methodological procedure is proposed to conduct freedom-to-operate searches using patent documentation-related legal technical information. Methods: first, characterization was performed of a large number of open-access patent databases available on the Internet (Patentescope®, Latipat, Espacenet, Invenes, Depatisnet, Lens.org and Patentinspiration) with respect to time coverage and number of Cuban patents, followed by identification and analysis of two information sources referring to their legal status (INPADOC y WIPO Register Portal). Results: Patentscope® and Invenes were considered to be the best databases, since they allow to search the entire document (title, abstract, description and claims) by means of key words. Depatisnet was found to be useful for inquiries about the International Patent Classification as re-classified by the German Patent Office. However, it is recommended to use all the databases studied to avoid content-related errors and other limitations to do with search functions. Based on the possibilities offered by the information sources analyzed, a search procedure for an HIV/AIDS preventive drug was implemented and perfected, showing that there was freedom-to-operate in Cuba for its exploitation, as well as the relevance of the tools and the methodology used to perform this type of search. Conclusions: in this case study a procedure is made operational and evidence is provided of the importance of implementing the freedom-to-operate search service to facilitate access to patented inventions, especially in the medical-pharmaceutical field(AU)