cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006959.v1
title: Tobacco and alcohol use, sexual behavior and common mental disorders among military students at the Police Academy, São Paulo, Brazil. A cross-sectional study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The lifestyle of military personnel has been little studied in Brazil. This study evaluated the frequencies of tobacco and alcohol use, sexual behavior and mental health among military students.DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at the Police Academy, in São Paulo.METHODS: Students answered a questionnaire about tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sexual behavior and common mental disorders (CMDs). To analyze associations among the frequencies of smoking and alcohol use, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and CMDs during the undergraduate years, we built a multinomial logistic regression model adjusted for age and sex.RESULTS: All 473 students were invited to participate and 430 (90.9%) agreed (10.5% were women). Most were white (76.6%), aged &lt; 30 years, from the upper middle class (78.1%). The frequency of smoking was 6.5%, alcohol consumption 69.3%, STDs 14% and CMDs 15.6%. The use of condoms was low. Fourth-year students presented a lower odds ratio (OR) for STDs than the first-year students: 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.90). Third-year students presented a lower OR for CMDs than the first-year students.CONCLUSION: The frequencies of smoking and CMDs were low, while the frequency of alcohol consumption was similar to that of the Brazilian population. The use of condoms was low, in comparison with previous studies with similar samples. The results suggest that there was a certain degree of protection against CMDs and STDs during the undergraduate years.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006960
title: Incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on three spirometric diagnostic criteria in Sao Paulo, Brazil: a nine-year follow-up since the PLATINO prevalence study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease of high prevalence and socioeconomic impact worldwide. It affects approximately 16% of the population of São Paulo. The incidence of COPD is still unknown in Brazil. The aim of this study was to estimate new cases of COPD in a population-based sample in São Paulo, Brazil, using three different spirometric diagnostic criteria, and to assess the concordance between these criteria.DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS: A questionnaire was applied and anthropometry and pre and post-bronchodilator spirometry were performed on the same subjects as in the initial PLATINO study (2003) in São Paulo. Data from this follow-up study were added to the original database of the initial phase. Incident COPD cases refer to subjects who developed the disease in accordance with each spirometric criterion during the nine-year follow-up period. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used in the analysis and the significance level was set at P &lt; 0.05.RESULTS: 613 subjects participated in the follow-up. New COPD cases ranged in frequency from 1.4% to 4.0%, depending on the diagnostic criterion used. The concordance between the criteria ranged from 35% to 60%.CONCLUSION: The incidence of COPD after a nine-year follow-up was high, but varied according to the spirometric criterion used. The agreement between the criteria for identifying new cases of the disease ranged from 35% to 60%.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006960.v1
title: Incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on three spirometric diagnostic criteria in Sao Paulo, Brazil: a nine-year follow-up since the PLATINO prevalence study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease of high prevalence and socioeconomic impact worldwide. It affects approximately 16% of the population of São Paulo. The incidence of COPD is still unknown in Brazil. The aim of this study was to estimate new cases of COPD in a population-based sample in São Paulo, Brazil, using three different spirometric diagnostic criteria, and to assess the concordance between these criteria.DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS: A questionnaire was applied and anthropometry and pre and post-bronchodilator spirometry were performed on the same subjects as in the initial PLATINO study (2003) in São Paulo. Data from this follow-up study were added to the original database of the initial phase. Incident COPD cases refer to subjects who developed the disease in accordance with each spirometric criterion during the nine-year follow-up period. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used in the analysis and the significance level was set at P &lt; 0.05.RESULTS: 613 subjects participated in the follow-up. New COPD cases ranged in frequency from 1.4% to 4.0%, depending on the diagnostic criterion used. The concordance between the criteria ranged from 35% to 60%.CONCLUSION: The incidence of COPD after a nine-year follow-up was high, but varied according to the spirometric criterion used. The agreement between the criteria for identifying new cases of the disease ranged from 35% to 60%.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006962
title: The Escitalopram versus Electric Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study (ELECT-TDCS): rationale and study design of a non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled clinical trial

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric condition, mostly treated with antidepressant drugs, which are limited due to refractoriness and adverse effects. We describe the study rationale and design of ELECT-TDCS (Escitalopram versus Electric Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study), which is investigating a non-pharmacological treatment known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).DESIGN AND SETTING: Phase-III, randomized, non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled study, ongoing in São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS: ELECT-TDCS compares the efficacy of active tDCS/placebo pill, sham tDCS/escitalopram 20 mg/day and sham tDCS/placebo pill, for ten weeks, randomizing 240 patients in a 3:3:2 ratio, respectively. Our primary aim is to show that tDCS is not inferior to escitalopram with a non-inferiority margin of at least 50% of the escitalopram effect, in relation to placebo. As secondary aims, we investigate several biomarkers such as genetic polymorphisms, neurotrophin serum markers, motor cortical excitability, heart rate variability and neuroimaging.RESULTS: Proving that tDCS is similarly effective to antidepressants would have a tremendous impact on clinical psychiatry, since tDCS is virtually devoid of adverse effects. Its ease of use, portability and low price are further compelling characteristics for its use in primary and secondary healthcare. Multimodal investigation of biomarkers will also contribute towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of action of tDCS.CONCLUSION: Our results have the potential to introduce a novel technique to the therapeutic arsenal of treatments for depression.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006962.v1
title: The Escitalopram versus Electric Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study (ELECT-TDCS): rationale and study design of a non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled clinical trial

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric condition, mostly treated with antidepressant drugs, which are limited due to refractoriness and adverse effects. We describe the study rationale and design of ELECT-TDCS (Escitalopram versus Electric Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study), which is investigating a non-pharmacological treatment known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).DESIGN AND SETTING: Phase-III, randomized, non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled study, ongoing in São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS: ELECT-TDCS compares the efficacy of active tDCS/placebo pill, sham tDCS/escitalopram 20 mg/day and sham tDCS/placebo pill, for ten weeks, randomizing 240 patients in a 3:3:2 ratio, respectively. Our primary aim is to show that tDCS is not inferior to escitalopram with a non-inferiority margin of at least 50% of the escitalopram effect, in relation to placebo. As secondary aims, we investigate several biomarkers such as genetic polymorphisms, neurotrophin serum markers, motor cortical excitability, heart rate variability and neuroimaging.RESULTS: Proving that tDCS is similarly effective to antidepressants would have a tremendous impact on clinical psychiatry, since tDCS is virtually devoid of adverse effects. Its ease of use, portability and low price are further compelling characteristics for its use in primary and secondary healthcare. Multimodal investigation of biomarkers will also contribute towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of action of tDCS.CONCLUSION: Our results have the potential to introduce a novel technique to the therapeutic arsenal of treatments for depression.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006963.v1
title: Construction of a competence-based curriculum for internship in obstetrics and gynecology within the medical course at the Federal University of Ceará (Sobral campus)

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: This research project arose from a proposal made to the teachers by the students of a medical course at a federal university in Brazil, from their personal experiences regarding the skills and competencies that should be developed during the obstetrics and gynecology (OBG) stage of the internship. The objective here was to develop the matrix of skills necessary for training good general physicians in the medical course.DESIGN AND SETTING: Exploratory qualitative study conducted in a federal university in Brazil.METHODS: The basis for developing these competencies among OBG interns was "The Competency Matrix for Medical Internship" developed by Bollela and Machado. The instrument was presented to, analyzed by and modified by a set of OBG specialists, at two sessions.RESULTS: The specific competencies expected from students over the internship in OBG were framed within overall topics that had previously been determined and listed: healthcare, decision-making, communication and interpersonal relationships, management and organization of the Brazilian National Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS) and professionalism.CONCLUSIONS: A competency matrix that standardizes the minimum requirements that interns should be capable of putting into practice after concluding the OBG stage is a valuable tool for ensuring student performance and a fair and rigorous assessment for them, thereby seeking to train good general physicians who meet the community's needs.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006963
title: Construction of a competence-based curriculum for internship in obstetrics and gynecology within the medical course at the Federal University of Ceará (Sobral campus)

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: This research project arose from a proposal made to the teachers by the students of a medical course at a federal university in Brazil, from their personal experiences regarding the skills and competencies that should be developed during the obstetrics and gynecology (OBG) stage of the internship. The objective here was to develop the matrix of skills necessary for training good general physicians in the medical course.DESIGN AND SETTING: Exploratory qualitative study conducted in a federal university in Brazil.METHODS: The basis for developing these competencies among OBG interns was "The Competency Matrix for Medical Internship" developed by Bollela and Machado. The instrument was presented to, analyzed by and modified by a set of OBG specialists, at two sessions.RESULTS: The specific competencies expected from students over the internship in OBG were framed within overall topics that had previously been determined and listed: healthcare, decision-making, communication and interpersonal relationships, management and organization of the Brazilian National Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS) and professionalism.CONCLUSIONS: A competency matrix that standardizes the minimum requirements that interns should be capable of putting into practice after concluding the OBG stage is a valuable tool for ensuring student performance and a fair and rigorous assessment for them, thereby seeking to train good general physicians who meet the community's needs.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006966
title: WOMAC and SF-36: instruments for evaluating the health-related quality of life of elderly people with total hip arthroplasty. A descriptive study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: Quality-of-life results have increasingly been evaluated among patients undergoing joint replacements. The objective of this study was to compare two assessment instruments for health-related quality of life (one generic and the other specific), among elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional descriptive study in a reference hospital in the region of Campinas.METHODS: The subjects were 88 elderly outpatients aged 60 years or over who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty. Two instruments for assessing health-related quality of life were applied: the generic Medical Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the specific Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Cronbach's alpha and the ceiling and floor effects of the instruments were evaluated.RESULTS: The scores from both instruments showed that issues of a physical nature affected these elderly people's quality of life most. The pain and stiffness dimensions of WOMAC showed ceiling effects and only the functional capacity and pain dimensions of the SF-36 did not show the ceiling effect. The SF-36 presented floor effects in the dimensions of physical and emotional aspects. Cronbach's alpha was considered satisfactory in both instruments (α &gt; 0.70).CONCLUSIONS: The floor and ceiling effects that were observed suggest that these instruments may present some limitations in detecting changes to the majority of the SF-36 dimensions, except for functional capacity and pain, and to the pain and stiffness dimensions of WOMAC, when applied to elderly people with total hip arthroplasty.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006968
title: Relationship between the Brazilian version of the Montreal-Toulouse language assessment battery and education, age and reading and writing characteristics. A cross-sectional study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: There is growing concern about understanding how sociodemographic variables may interfere with cognitive functioning, especially with regard to language. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between performance in the Brazilian version of the Montreal-Toulouse language assessment battery (MTL-BR) and education, age and frequency of reading and writing habits (FRWH).DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted in university and work environments in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.METHOD: The MTL-BR was administered to a group of 233 healthy adults, aged 19 to 75 years (mean = 45.04, standard deviation, SD = 15.47), with at least five years of formal education (mean = 11.47, SD = 4.77).RESULTS: A stepwise multiple linear regression model showed that, for most tasks, the number of years of education, age and FRWH were better predictors of performance when analyzed together rather than separately. In separate analysis, education was the best predictor of performance in language tasks, especially those involving reading and writing abilities.CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the number of years of education, age and FRWH seem to influence performance in the MTL-BR, especially education. These data are important for making diagnoses of greater precision among patients suffering from brain injuries, with the aim of avoiding false positives.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006966.v1
title: WOMAC and SF-36: instruments for evaluating the health-related quality of life of elderly people with total hip arthroplasty. A descriptive study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES: Quality-of-life results have increasingly been evaluated among patients undergoing joint replacements. The objective of this study was to compare two assessment instruments for health-related quality of life (one generic and the other specific), among elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional descriptive study in a reference hospital in the region of Campinas.METHODS: The subjects were 88 elderly outpatients aged 60 years or over who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty. Two instruments for assessing health-related quality of life were applied: the generic Medical Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the specific Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Cronbach's alpha and the ceiling and floor effects of the instruments were evaluated.RESULTS: The scores from both instruments showed that issues of a physical nature affected these elderly people's quality of life most. The pain and stiffness dimensions of WOMAC showed ceiling effects and only the functional capacity and pain dimensions of the SF-36 did not show the ceiling effect. The SF-36 presented floor effects in the dimensions of physical and emotional aspects. Cronbach's alpha was considered satisfactory in both instruments (α &gt; 0.70).CONCLUSIONS: The floor and ceiling effects that were observed suggest that these instruments may present some limitations in detecting changes to the majority of the SF-36 dimensions, except for functional capacity and pain, and to the pain and stiffness dimensions of WOMAC, when applied to elderly people with total hip arthroplasty.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006968.v1
title: Relationship between the Brazilian version of the Montreal-Toulouse language assessment battery and education, age and reading and writing characteristics. A cross-sectional study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: There is growing concern about understanding how sociodemographic variables may interfere with cognitive functioning, especially with regard to language. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between performance in the Brazilian version of the Montreal-Toulouse language assessment battery (MTL-BR) and education, age and frequency of reading and writing habits (FRWH).DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study conducted in university and work environments in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.METHOD: The MTL-BR was administered to a group of 233 healthy adults, aged 19 to 75 years (mean = 45.04, standard deviation, SD = 15.47), with at least five years of formal education (mean = 11.47, SD = 4.77).RESULTS: A stepwise multiple linear regression model showed that, for most tasks, the number of years of education, age and FRWH were better predictors of performance when analyzed together rather than separately. In separate analysis, education was the best predictor of performance in language tasks, especially those involving reading and writing abilities.CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the number of years of education, age and FRWH seem to influence performance in the MTL-BR, especially education. These data are important for making diagnoses of greater precision among patients suffering from brain injuries, with the aim of avoiding false positives.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006971
title: Hierarchy of evidence referring to the central nervous system in a high-impact radiation oncology journal: a 10-year assessment. Descriptive critical appraisal study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: To the best of our knowledge, there has been no systematic assessment of the classification of scientific production within the scope of radiation oncology relating to central nervous system tumors. The aim of this study was to systematically assess the status of evidence relating to the central nervous system and to evaluate the geographic origins and major content of these published data.DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive critical appraisal study conducted at a private hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS: We evaluated all of the central nervous system studies published in the journal Radiotherapy & Oncology between 2003 and 2012. The studies identified were classified according to their methodological design and level of evidence. Information regarding the geographical location of the study, the institutions and authors involved in the publication, main condition or disease investigated and time of publication was also obtained.RESULTS: We identified 3,004 studies published over the 10-year period. Of these, 125 (4.2%) were considered eligible, and 66% of them were case series. Systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials accounted for approximately 10% of all the published papers. We observed an increase in high-quality evidence and a decrease in low-quality published papers over this period (P = 0.036). The inter-rater reliability demonstrated significant agreement between observers in terms of the level of evidence.CONCLUSIONS: Increases in high-level evidence and in the total number of central nervous system papers were clearly demonstrated, although the overall number of such studies remained relatively small.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.20006971.v1
title: Hierarchy of evidence referring to the central nervous system in a high-impact radiation oncology journal: a 10-year assessment. Descriptive critical appraisal study

description: CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: To the best of our knowledge, there has been no systematic assessment of the classification of scientific production within the scope of radiation oncology relating to central nervous system tumors. The aim of this study was to systematically assess the status of evidence relating to the central nervous system and to evaluate the geographic origins and major content of these published data.DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive critical appraisal study conducted at a private hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS: We evaluated all of the central nervous system studies published in the journal Radiotherapy & Oncology between 2003 and 2012. The studies identified were classified according to their methodological design and level of evidence. Information regarding the geographical location of the study, the institutions and authors involved in the publication, main condition or disease investigated and time of publication was also obtained.RESULTS: We identified 3,004 studies published over the 10-year period. Of these, 125 (4.2%) were considered eligible, and 66% of them were case series. Systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials accounted for approximately 10% of all the published papers. We observed an increase in high-quality evidence and a decrease in low-quality published papers over this period (P = 0.036). The inter-rater reliability demonstrated significant agreement between observers in terms of the level of evidence.CONCLUSIONS: Increases in high-level evidence and in the total number of central nervous system papers were clearly demonstrated, although the overall number of such studies remained relatively small.