Introduction: This is a systematic review on the main algorithms using machine learning (ML) in retinal image processing for glaucoma diagnosis and detection. ML has proven to be a significant tool for the development of computer aided technology. Furthermore, secondary research has been widely conducted over the years for ophthalmologists. Such aspects indicate the importance of ML in the context of retinal image processing. Methods:The publications that were chosen to compose this review were gathered from Scopus, PubMed, IEEEXplore and Science Direct databases. Then, the papers published between 2014 and 2019 were selected . Researches that used the segmented optic disc method were excluded. Moreover, only the methods which applied the classification process were considered. The systematic analysis was performed in such studies and, thereupon, the results were summarized.Discussion: Based on architectures used for ML in retinal image processing, some studies applied feature extraction and dimensionality reduction to detect and isolate important parts of the analyzed image. Differently, other works utilized a deep convolutional network. Based on the evaluated researches, the main difference between the architectures is the number of images demanded for processing and the high computational cost required to use deep learning techniques.Conclusions: All the analyzed publications indicated it was possible to develop an automated system for glaucoma diagnosis. The disease severity and its high occurrence rates justify the researches which have been carried out. Recent computational techniques, such as deep learning, have shown to be promising technologies in fundus imaging. Although such a technique requires an extensive database and high computational costs, the studies show that the data augmentation and transfer learning techniques have been applied as an alternative way to optimize and reduce networks training.

Congenital syphilis (CS) remains a threat to public health worldwide, especially in developing countries. To mitigate the impacts of the CS epidemic, the Brazilian government has developed a national intervention project called “Syphilis No.” Thus, among its range of actions is the production of thousands of writings featuring the experiences of research and intervention supporters (RIS) of the project, called field researchers. In addition, this large volume of base data was subjected to analysis through data mining, which may contribute to better strategies for combating syphilis. Natural language processing is a form of knowledge extraction. First, the database extracted from the “LUES Platform” with 4,874 documents between 2018 and 2020 was employed. This was followed by text preprocessing, selecting texts referring to the field researchers' reports for analysis. Finally, for analyzing the documents, N-grams extraction (N = 2,3,4) was performed. The combination of the TF-IDF metric with the BoW algorithm was applied to assess terms' importance and frequency and text clustering. In total, 1019 field activity reports were mined. Word extraction from the text mining method set out the following guiding axioms from the bigrams: “confronting syphilis in primary health care;” “investigation committee for congenital syphilis in the territory;” “municipal plan for monitoring and investigating syphilis cases through health surveillance;” “women's healthcare networks for syphilis in pregnant;” “diagnosis and treatment with a focus on rapid testing.” Text mining may serve public health research subjects when used in parallel with the conventional content analysis method. The computational method extracted intervention activities from field researchers, also providing inferences on how the strategies of the “Syphilis No” Project influenced the decrease in congenital syphilis cases in the territory.

Introduction Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. In 2016, it was declared an epidemic in Brazil due to its high morbidity and mortality rates, mainly in cases of maternal syphilis (MS) and congenital syphilis (CS) with unfavorable outcomes. This paper aimed to mathematically describe the relationship between MS and CS cases reported in Brazil over the interval from 2010 to 2020, considering the likelihood of diagnosis and effective and timely maternal treatment during prenatal care, thus supporting the decision-making and coordination of syphilis response efforts. Methods The model used in this paper was based on stochastic Petri net (SPN) theory. Three different regressions, including linear, polynomial, and logistic regression, were used to obtain the weights of an SPN model. To validate the model, we ran 100 independent simulations for each probability of an untreated MS case leading to CS case (PUMLC) and performed a statistical t-test to reinforce the results reported herein. Results According to our analysis, the model for predicting congenital syphilis cases consistently achieved an average accuracy of 93% or more for all tested probabilities of an untreated MS case leading to CS case. Conclusions The SPN approach proved to be suitable for explaining the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) dataset using the range of 75–95% for the probability of an untreated MS case leading to a CS case (PUMLC). In addition, the model’s predictive power can help plan actions to fight against the disease.

Resumo É inegável o papel dos avanços tecnológicos para o fortalecimento da saúde. No tocante às tecnologias digitais, trata do uso crescente dos sistemas de informação e análise de dados em saúde nas ações de preparo, vigilância e resposta a surtos epidemiológicos, tema abordado neste artigo no contexto da pandemia provocada pelo vírus Sars-CoV-2 no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Este estudo parte do pressuposto de que é possível potencializar a gestão da resposta à Covid-19 por meio da saúde digital. Assim, a pesquisa desenvolveu um Ecossistema tecnológico que integra diferentes sistemas de informação para atender as necessidades previstas nas normativas internacionais frente à pandemia. Este artigo descreve, além do Ecossistema e sua estrutura, um conjunto de análises sobre a aplicação desse dispositivo por diversos atores institucionais. O Ecossistema foi a principal ferramenta em uso no estado para o processo decisório em resposta à Covid-19, sendo um modelo para a intervenção de saúde digital no Sistema Único de Saúde. A experiência do Rio Grande do Norte reúne, portanto, elementos que contribuem para os estudos sobre resiliência de sistemas e análises de políticas públicas em saúde em situações de emergência.

Introduction The use of machine learning (ML) techniques in healthcare encompasses an emerging concept that envisages vast contributions to the tackling of rare diseases. In this scenario, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involves complexities that are yet not demystified. In ALS, the biomedical signals present themselves as potential biomarkers that, when used in tandem with smart algorithms, can be useful to applications within the context of the disease. Methods This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) consists of searching for and investigating primary studies that use ML techniques and biomedical signals related to ALS. Following the definition and execution of the SLR protocol, 18 articles met the inclusion, exclusion, and quality assessment criteria, and answered the SLR research questions. Discussions Based on the results, we identified three classes of ML applications combined with biomedical signals in the context of ALS: diagnosis (72.22%), communication (22.22%), and survival prediction (5.56%). Conclusions Distinct algorithmic models and biomedical signals have been reported and present promising approaches, regardless of their classes. In summary, this SLR provides an overview of the primary studies analyzed as well as directions for the construction and evolution of technology-based research within the scope of ALS.

The Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS) is a free and open distance education platform of the Ministry of Health (MS). AVASUS is a scalable virtual learning environment that has surpassed 800,000 users, 2 million enrollments, and 310 courses in its catalog. The objective of this paper was to assess the impacts of the educational offerings on health services and AVASUS course participants' professional practice. This study analyzed data from AVASUS, the Brazilian National Registry of Health Care Facilities (CNES), the Brazilian Occupational Classification (CBO), and a questionnaire applied to 720-course participants from five regions of Brazil. After acquiring and extracting data, computational methods were used for the evaluation process. Only the responses of 462 participants were considered for data analysis, as they had a formal link to CNES. The results showed that respondents recommended 76.2% of AVASUS courses to peers. Accordingly, the quality of educational offerings motivated 81.3% of such recommendations. In addition, 75.6% of course participants who answered the questionnaire also indicated that AVASUS course contents contribute to enhancing existing health services in the health facilities where they work. Finally, 24.6% of all responses mentioned that courses available in AVASUS were essential in offering new health services in such facilities.

and Valentim RAM ( ) Syphilis response policies and their assessments: A scoping review.

Background This article comprises a systematic review of the literature that aims at researching and analyzing the frequently applied guidelines for structuring national databases of epidemiological surveillance for motor neuron diseases, especially Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Methods We searched for articles published from January 2015 to September 2019 on online databases as PubMed - U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine, Scopus, Science Direct, and Springer. Subsequently, we analyzed studies that considered risk factors, demographic data, and other strategic data for directing techno-scientific research, calibrating public health policies, and supporting decision-making by managers through a systemic panorama of ALS. Results 2850 studies were identified. 2400 were discarded for not satisfying the inclusion criteria, and 435 being duplicated or published in books or conferences. Hence, 15 articles were elected. By applying quality criteria, we then selected six studies to compose this review. Such researches featured registries from the American (3), European (2), and Oceania (1) continent. All the studies specified the methods for data capture and the patients’ recruitment process for the registers. Discussions From the analysis of the selected papers and reported models, it is noticeable that most studies focused on the prospect of obtaining data to characterize research on epidemiological studies. Demographic data (ID01) are present in all the registries, representing the main collected data category. Furthermore, the general health history (ID02) is present in 50% of the registries analyzed. Characteristics such as access control, confidentiality and data curation. We observed that 50% of the registries comprise a patient-focused web-based self-report system. Conclusion The development of robust, interoperable, and secure electronic registries that generate value for research and patients presents itself as a solution and a challenge. This systematic review demonstrated the success of a population register requires actions with well-defined development methods, as well as the involvement of various actors of civil society.