Sugarcane and cancer, scientometrics, and phytoplankton dynamics of a beach in the Amazon

Cancer is arguable the most feared disease in our society. Walking side by side are the efforts in early detection of this malady (e.g., Smith et al. 2015) and the continuous search for different ways on how to fight the various types of abnormal cell growth (e.g., Weinstein 2002, Esquissato et al. 2014, Ferreira et al. 2015). It has been known for many years that some natural products can be used for cancer prevention (e.g., Steinmetz and Potter 1996) and more can be done in this field. In this issue of the Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (AABC), Vanessa Alves and colleagues have evaluated the cytotoxic activity of sugarcane extracts against cancer cells (Alves et al. 2016). They were able to isolate several compounds, including tricin, that showed important anticancer activity, indicating that sugarcane might also be a valuable source for tricin derivatives in the search for the development of pharmacological products.

The constant pressure for publication - also called the "bakery effect" (see Kellner and Ponciano 2008) - is a reality in the "brave new world" of science. This resulted in an exponential increase of published papers (accompanied by a boost of periodicals) and, not rarely, led to the undesired side effect of scientific misconduct (e.g., Fang et al. 2012, Barata et al. 2014, Vasconcelos et al. 2015). At the same time, there has been a constant search regarding evaluations of the scientific development in different countries, what has been done with the development and introduction of distinct scientometric indicators (e.g., Leite et al. 2011). In the present issue of the AABC, Silva (2016) discusses the Nature Index that has been recently used to appraise Brazilian Science, shedding new light on problems of scientific performance indicators.

Lastly, among the several interesting papers published here, I would like to call your attention to the article of Jislene Matos and colleagues. They have studied the structure and temporal variation of the phytoplankton of a beach in the Amazon Costal Zone in order to have a better understanding of the factors that influence these microscopic organisms (Matos et al. 2016). This area encompasses several aquatic ecosystems (e.g., Souza Filho et al. 2003), all subjected to complex hydrodynamic processes (e.g., Nittrouer and Demaster 1996). Since microalgae constitute an important component of the freshwater community in the Amazon Region and part of the diet of several organisms (e.g., Gomes et al. 2014), such detailed studies, as the one of Matos et al. (2016), are welcome and constitute important steps for a better understanding of the dynamics that affect these organisms in this particular costal area of Brazil.

REFERENCES

• ALVES VG, SOUZA AG, CHIAVELLI LUR, RUIZ ALTG, CARVALHO JE, POMINI AM and SILVA CC. 2016. Phenolic compounds and anticancer activity of commercial sugarcane cultivated in Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 88: 1201-1209.
• BARATA RB, ARAGÃO E, DE SOUSA LEPF, SANTANA TM and BARRETO ML. 2014. The configuration of the Brazilian scientific field. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 505-521.
• ESQUISSATO GNM, DE SANT'ANNA JR, FRANCO CCS, ROSADA LJ, DOS SANTOS PASR and DE CASTRO-PRADO MAA. 2014. Gene homozygosis and mitotic recombination induced by camptothecin and irinotecan in Aspergillus nidulans diploid cells. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 1703-1710.
• FANG FCF, STEEN RG and CASADEVALL A. 2012. Misconduct accounts for the majority of retracted scientific publications. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109(42): 17028-17033.
• FERREIRA PMP ET AL. 2015. Cytotoxic and toxicological effects of phthalimide derivatives on tumor and normal murine cells. An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 313-330.
• GOMES JN, ABRUNHOSA FA, COSTA AK and MACIEL CR. 2014. Feeding and larval growth of an exotic freshwater prawn Macrobrachium equidens (Decapoda: Palaemonidae), from Northeastern Pará, Amazon Region. An Acad Bras Cienc 86: 1525-1535.
• KELLNER AWA, PONCIANO LCMO. 2008. H-index in the Brazilian Academy of Sciences - comments and concerns. An Acad Bras Cienc 80: 771-781.
• LEITE P, MUGNAINI R and LETA J. 2011. A new indicator for international visibility: exploring Brazilian scientific community. Scientometrics 88: 311-319.
• MATOS JB, DE OLIVEIRA SMO, PEREIRA LCC and DA COSTA RM. 2016. Structure and temporal variation of the phytoplankton of a macrotidal beach from the Amazon coastal zone. An Acad Bras Cienc 88: 1325-1339.
• NITTROUER CA, DEMASTER DJ. 1996. The Amazon shelf setting: tropical, energetic, and influenced by a larger river. Cont Shelf Res 16(5-6): 553-573.
• SILVA V. 2016. Scientometrics : Nature Index and Brazilian science. An Acad Bras Cienc 88: 1597-1599.
• SMITH RA, MANASSARAM-BAPTISTE D, BROOKS D, DOROSHENK M, FEDEWA S, SASLOW D, BRAWLEY OW and WENDER R. 2015. Cancer screening in the United States, 2015: A review of current American Cancer Society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening. CA Cancer J Clin 65(1): 30-54.
• SOUZA FILHO PWM, TOZZI HAM and EL-ROBRINI M. 2003. Geomorphology, Land-Use and Environmental Hazards in Ajuruteua Macrotidal Sandy Beach, Northern Brazil. J Coastal Res SI 35: 580-589.
• STEINMETZ KA, POTTER JD. 1996. Vegetables, Fruit, and Cancer Prevention J Acad Nutr Diet 96(10): 1027-1039.
• VASCONCELOS SMR, SORENSON MM, WATANABE EH, FOGUEL D and PALÁCIOS M. 2015. Brazilian Science and Research Integrity: Where are We? What Next? An Acad Bras Cienc 87: 1259-1269.
• WEINSTEIN IB. 2002. Cancer addiction to oncogenes - the Achilles heal of cancer. Science 297(5578): 63-64.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  Sept 2016