Spatial and temporal distribution of fishing resources exploited by the Manaus fishing fleet, Amazonas, Brazil

Recursos pesqueiros são importantes fontes de renda e alimento para as populações rurais e urbanas na Amazônia. O presente trabalho avalia a pesca e as variáveis ambientais que determinam a produção de pescarias que desembarcam em Manaus, e avalia também a abundância relativa de recursos pesqueiros em diferentes subsistemas na Amazônia Central. A informação coletada no porto de desembarque de pescado de Manaus foi utilizada para testar um novo índice de captura obtido a partir de um modelo de covariância que apresentou as seguintes variáveis significativas: número de pescadores/dia (dias de pesca vezes número de pescadores por viagem); distância do pesqueiro até Manaus; quantidade de gelo que usou durante a viagem; e nível de rio. Não houve nenhuma diferença significativa entre valores médios de captura entre os subsistemas do Purus, Madeira e de Juruá. Estes resultados sugerem que os tributários da margem direita são similares e mais produtivos em termos comerciais. Concluiu-se que a produção corrente varia de acordo com a magnitude de esforço pesqueiro, por variações ambientais, assim como por aspectos operacionais da pesca, particularmente o consumo de gelo.

Efficacy and safety of a soy isoflavone extract in postmenopausal women: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of soy isoflavone on climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women.Design: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, a total of 80 women (mean age =55.1 years), who reported 5 or more hot flush episodes per day, were randomized to receive either 250 mg of standardized soy extract (Glycine max AT) a total of 100 mg/day of isoflavone (n=40) or placebo (n=40). Exclusion criteria included: contra-indication for hormone therapy (HT), chronic gastrointestinal diseases, and users of HT within the preceding 6-months. For 10-months, climacteric symptoms were evaluated using a score card and the menopausal Kupperman index. Compliance and safety were also assessed. At baseline and the end of the study, lipid and hormonal profiles, as well as vaginal, mammographic and ultrasonographic parameters were measured. The t-test, Wilcoxon test and ANOVA were used in the statistical analysis.Results: At baseline, the mean number of hot flushes was 9.6 +/- 3.9 per day in the isoflavone group and 10.1 +/- 4.9 in the placebo group (p>0.05). After 10 months, there was a significant reduction in frequency of hot flushes among isoflavone users when compared to those on placebo (3.1 +/- 2.3 and 5.9 +/- 4.3, respectively) (p<0.001). Kupperman index mean values showed a significant reduction in both groups. However, soy isoflavone was significantly superior to placebo, in reducing hot flush severity (69.9% and 33.7%, respectively) (p<0.001). Endometrial thickness, mammography, vaginal cytology, lipids and hormonal profile did not change in both groups. No serious adverse event related to isoflavone treatment was reported.Conclusions: the soy isoflavone extract exerted favorable effects on vasomotor symptoms and good compliance, providing a safe and effective alternative therapeutic for postmenopausal women. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of itraconazole pulse therapy: Brazilian multicentric study on toenail onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes

Background Itraconazole is a large spectrum triazole with known efficacy in both continuous and pulse therapy for various mycoses.Objectives Evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of itraconazole pulse therapy for onychomycosis of the toenails due to dermatophytes, in a prospective, open, non-comparative and multicentric investigation.Patients and methods the trial was completed by 72 patients of an initial total of 89. Treatment consisted of four cycles of itraconazole, 200 mg twice a day, for seven consecutive days each month. Patients were evaluated clinically, mycologically and biochemically before, during and at the end of the investigation, and were divided into two groups according to the measure of normal portion of the most affected nail (target nail), as follows: Group 1. 0-5.9 mm; and Group 2: more than 6 mm.Results Improvement was satisfactory and progressive. Results were statistically significant, when comparing the three moments of the study: pre-treatment, end of therapy (fourth month) and follow-up (ninth month) in both groups.Conclusions Itraconazole pulse therapy was efficient and safe for the treatment of onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes, although a much higher daily dosage than the known continuous administration was used. Group 1, with nails initially more extensively affected, had a more evident improvement, by the mean variation in millimeters of normal portion of the target nail. This group showed a very satisfactory response, although not reaching total cure, thus demonstrating the great importance of early treatment of this disease. A residual therapeutic effect is maintained even after suspension of the drug. Group 2 obtained better total cure rates, and four pulses were, in general, sufficient, whereas more cycles would have been beneficial for the Group 1 patients with more extensive involvement. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Demonstration of the cellular viability and safety of Enterococcus faecium CRL 183 in long-term experiments

Enterococcus faecium CRL 183, a strain isolated from NSLAB cheese starter, has been the focus of much research on its potential probiotic capacity, although its survival through the gastrointestinal tract has not been demonstrated so far. In order to determine the capacity of E. faecium CRL 183 to survive such conditions, this strain was administered daily to rats for 30 weeks. The experimental animals were divided into Group I: those that did not receive E. faecium, Group II: those that received a pure culture of E. faecium CRL 183 and Group III: animals that received E. faecium CRL 183 in the form of a fermented soy-based product. Faecal samples were collected at the beginning and at the 50%, 75% and 100% stages of the experimental period. Isolation and counts of Enterococcus were carried out on KF selective media. To distinguish the various Enterococcus species in the faeces, biochemical (API Strep 20) and molecular (PCR) tests were performed. Initially, E. faecium was absent from the intestinal flora of the rats; however, after 15 weeks of administration, E. faecium could be recovered from the faeces of Groups II and III, demonstrating that E. faecium CRL 183 was able to survive gastrointestinal transit under the study conditions. This is further evidence of the probiotic qualities of this strain. The safety of the strain was also investigated with regard to body weight and serum biochemical analysis.

Safety in road crossing of children with cerebral palsy

Aim: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are regularly confronted with physical constraints during locomotion. Because abnormalities in motor control are often related to perceptual deficits, the aim of this study was to find out whether children with CP were able to walk across a road as safely as their non-handicapped peers. Method: Ten children with CP and 10 non-handicapped children aged 4-14 y were asked to cross a simulated road if they felt the situation was safe. Results: With respect to safety and accuracy of crossings, the behaviour of children with CP was comparable with that of non-handicapped children. However, a closer examination of children's individual crossing behaviour showed considerable differences within the CP group. In contrast to children with damage to the left hemisphere, children with damage to the right hemisphere made unsafe decisions and did not compensate for them by increasing walking speed.Conclusion: the differences in unsafe behaviour and in the ability to compensate for it within the group of children with CP might be related to damage to specific regions of the brain that are involved in the processing of spatial or temporal information.

Effectiveness and safety of a new vaginal misoprostol product specifically labeled for cervical ripening and labor induction

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of misoprostol in two different formulations: vaginal tablets of 25 mu g and one-eighth of a 200-mu g oral tablet, also administered intravaginally, for cervical ripening and labor induction of term pregnancies with an indication for that. Methods. A single-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was carried out in 120 pregnant women who randomly received one of the two formulations. The main dependent variables were mode of delivery, need for additional oxytocin, time between beginning of induction and delivery, perinatal results, complications, and maternal side effects. Student's t, Mann-Whitney, chi(2), Fisher's Exact, Wilcoxon and Kolmogorov-Smirnoff tests, as well as survival analysis, were used in the data analysis. Results. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of general characteristics, uterine contractility, and fetal well-being during labor, cesarean section rates, perinatal outcomes, or maternal adverse events. The mean time between the beginning of cervical ripening and delivery was 31.3 h in the vaginal tablet group and 30.1 h in the oral tablet group, a difference that was not statistically significant. Conclusion. The results showed that the 25-mu g vaginal tablets of misoprostol were as effective and safe for cervical ripening and labor induction as the dose-equivalent fraction of 200-mu g oral tablets.

An open-label, comparative study of the efficacy and safety of once-daily dose of enoxaparin versus unfractionated heparin in the treatment of proximal lower limb deep-vein thrombosis

Background: Treatment of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) with a once-daily regimen of enoxaparin, rather than a continuous infusion of unfractionated heparin (UFH) is more convenient and allows for home care in some patients. This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of these two regimens for the treatment of patients with proximal lower limb DVT. Methods: 201 patients with proximal lower limb DVT from 13 centers in Brazil were randomized in an open manner to receive either enoxaparin [1.5 mg/kg subcutaneous (s.c.) OD] or intravenous (i.v.) UFH (adjusted to aPTT 1.5-2.5 times control) for 5-10 days. All patients also received warfarin (INR 2-3) for at least 3 months. The primary efficacy endpoint Was recurrent DVT (confirmed by venography or ultrasonography), and safety endpoints included bleeding and serious adverse events. The rate of pulmonary embolism (PE) was also collected. Hospitalization was at the physician's discretion. Results: Baseline patient characteristics were comparable between groups. The duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter with enoxaparin than with UFH (3 versus 7 days). In addition, 36% of patients receiving enoxaparin did not need to be hospitalized, whereas all of the patients receiving UFH were! hospitalized. The treatment duration was slightly longer with enoxaparin (8 versus 7 days). There was a nonsignificant trend toward a reduction in the rate of recurrent DVT with enoxaparin versus UFH, and similar safety. Conclusions: A once-daily regimen of enoxaparin 1.5 mg/kg subcutaneous is at least as effective and safe as conventional treatment with a continuous intravenous infusion of UFH. However, the once daily enoxaparin regimen is easier to administer (subcutaneous versus intravenous), does not require aPTT monitoring, and leads to both a reduced number of hospital admissions and an average 4-day-shorter hospital stay. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.