A Ritalina no Brasil: uma década de produção, divulgação e consumo

A Ritalina, nome comercial do metilfenidato, tem sido cada vez mais produzida e consumida no Brasil. Somente entre 2002 e 2006, produção brasileira de metilfenidato, cresceu 465%. Sua vinculação ao diagnóstico de TDAH tem sido fator predominante de justificativa para tal crescimento. Entretanto, os discursos que circulam em torno do tema e legitimam seu uso também contribuem para o avanço nas vendas. Estes discursos não estão despojados de atravessamentos sociais e são o objeto de estudo desta pesquisa. Este trabalho tem por objetivo fazer uma análise das publicações brasileiras sobre os usos da Ritalina, de 1998, ano em que o medicamento foi autorizado no Brasil, até 2008. Para tanto, realizamos uma busca em todos os periódicos de psiquiatria brasileiros indexados na base Scielo, assim como nos jornais e revistas direcionados para o público em geral com maior tiragem. Em nossa análise, discutimos quais pontos são priorizados e quais são omitidos nos discursos sobre o metilfenidato no Brasil, e quais são seus possíveis efeitos na prática clínica com o paciente. Além disso, as diferenças nas prioridades de informações encontradas nos dois tipos de publicação, leiga e científica, também são discutidas neste trabalho.

Length-weight relationship of small pelagic fish species of the southeast and South Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone

The length-weight relationship (LWR) parameters of 23 small pelagic fish species (belonging to 13 families) from the south-southeast Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone in 1996 and 1997 are presented. The b values varied between 2.72 and 3.53. The samples for this study were collected during hydroacoustic surveys covering an area of 700 000 square km.

Length-weight relationships of marine fishes from the central Brazilian coast

Parameters of the length-weight relationship are presented for 85 fish species from the marine and estuarine regions of the central Brazilian coast (latitude 13° to 23° S). Three different methods were used. A non-linear iterative process using the quasi-Newton algorithm yielded a better fit for all data sets analyzed. The length-weight allometry coefficient b estimated from standard length data tended to be lower than from total length data. The difference between these estimates was significant for some species.

Life cycle and biological parameters of several Brazilian Amazon fish species

This contribution summarizes knowledge on the biology (population dynamics, reproduction, ecology) of 25 fish species from the Lower Amazon, Brazil, based on data from a Brazilian-German field project (IARA) and a review of the literature.

Chartered Trawling on the Brazilian Slope

Commercial trawling on the Atlantic slope areas off Brazil intensified in the late 1990’s owing to the expansion of coastal trawling areas and the operations of a chartered foreign fleet. Between 2000 and 2003, 59 fishing trips conducted by 10 chartered trawlers were intensely monitored by observers and satellite vessel monitoring systems, totaling 9,069 tows and 30,085.2 trawling hours. Fishing operations occurred in northern, northeastern, southeastern, and southern sectors of the Brazilian coast in 60–1,173 m depths. Total retained and processed catch were 8,074.6 t and 6,479.8 t, respectively. Argentine hake, Merluccius hubbsi; and Argentine shortfin squid, Illex argentinus, were the primary species taken contributing to 41.1% and 28.6% of the overall catch, respectively. The silver John dory, Zenopsis conchifera; monkfish, Lophius gastrophysus; Brazilian codling, Urophycis mystacea; and the black grouper, Epinephelus nigritus, composed 23% of total processed catch, and the remaining 7.2% was composed of deep-sea shrimps (family Aristeidae) and other teleosts and elasmobranches. The occupation of slope areas included an early exploratory phase, followed by directed phases of the upper slope (300–500 m), aiming principally at the Argentine hake, and the lower slope (>700 m), targeting valuable concentrations of deep-sea aristeid shrimps. The role of chartering for slope trawling development was critically addressed. We conclude that chartered vessels were efficient explorers and were particularly important in areas not available to the technologically limited national fleet. Because the charters were market-oriented and had elevated profit demands, however, those vessels quickly turned from exploration to exploitation and competed with national trawlers in shallower areas and produced significant impacts on Brazil’s modest deep-sea resources.

O movimento emancipacionista na perspectiva das elites políticas na Província do Espírito Santo, 1869-1888

Ao longo do Dezenove presenciou-se debates acerca da questão servil no Brasil. Essa querela também teve seus reflexos na Província do Espírito Santo, tendo esta, como objeto de investigação. No fim dos anos de 1860, o movimento emancipacionista começava a ser delineado pelas elites política e intelectual a nível nacional e local. No ano de 1867, a Fala do Trono trouxe à tona questões significativas a respeito do problema servil e os possíveis caminhos a serem seguidos a favor da libertação dos escravos. As décadas de 1870 e 1880 foram períodos de intenso debate acerca da campanha emancipacionista e abolicionista brasileira. Especialmente na década de 1870 com a promulgação da Lei do Ventre Livre em 1871 teve-se um número significativo de ações de arbitramento de escravos na Província do Espírito Santo, especialmente na cidade da Vitória e em suas freguesias. O intento deste trabalho é identificar como ocorreu o desenrolar do processo emancipacionista na Província do Espírito Santo, a partir do entendimento da cultura política daquela sociedade, tendo como fonte de estudo os debates proferidos no espaço da Assembleia legislativa provincial, concomitante às ações de liberdade de escravos e dois importantes periódicos: O Jornal da Victoria e A Província do Espírito Santo, pois, seus redatores e proprietários permeavam os espaços políticos e intelectuais da cidade de Vitória Oitocentista. Têm-se como marcos temporal os anos de 1869 a 1888, pois, aquele ano foi promulgada a primeira lei provincial de caráter emancipador e o último marco refere-se a extinção plena e total de uma das instituições mais duradouras na História do Brasil.

Age determination and growth of the night shark (Carcharhinus signatus) off the northeastern Brazilian coast

Age and growth of the night shark (Carcharhinus signatus) from areas off northeastern Brazil were determined from 317 unstained vertebral sections of 182 males (113–215 cm total length [TL]), 132 females (111.5–234.9 cm) and three individuals of unknown sex (169–242 cm). Although marginal increment (MI) analysis suggests that band formation occurs in the third and fourth trimesters in juveniles, it was inconclusive for adults. Thus, it was assumed that one band is formed annually. Births that occur over a protracted period may be the most important source of bias in MI analysis. An estimated average percent error of 2.4% was found in readings for individuals between two and seventeen years. The von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) showed no significant differences between sexes, and the model derived from back-calculated mean length at age best represented growth for the species (L∞=270 cm, K=0.11/yr, t0=–2.71 yr) when compared to the observed mean lengths at age and the Fabens’ method. Length-frequency analysis on 1055 specimens (93–260 cm) was used to verify age determination. Back-calculated size at birth was 66.8 cm and maturity was reached at 180–190 cm (age 8) for males and 200–205 cm (age ten) for females. Age composition, estimated from an age-length key, indicated that juveniles predominate in commercial catches, representing 74.3% of the catch. A growth rate of 25.4 cm/yr was estimated from birth to the first band (i.e. juveniles grow 38% of their birth length during the first year), and a growth rate of 8.55 cm/yr was estimated for eight- to ten-year-old adults.

Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms and Associated Factors in Schoolchildren from Brazilian Amazon Islands

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of asthma symptoms among schoolchildren living on two different Brazilian Amazon islands and to identify the risk factors related to this condition. Methods. A cross-sectional study of 400 schoolchildren (5-8 years old) using written questionnaires produced by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, a skin prick test (allergic sensitization), and a stool examination (for helminthic infection). Nonparametric tests were carried out, and the risk factors were identified by logistic regression. Results. the prevalence of active asthma symptoms was markedly higher in children living on Outeiro Island (OI) than those living on Comb Island (CBI) (30.5% and 16.5%, respectively). the logistic regression identified several risk factors of asthma symptoms on CBI: parental history of asthma, night coughing in the past year, and currently have a cat. On OI, the major risk factors were parental history of asthma, personal history of eczema, having two or more older siblings, and night coughing in the past year. the risk factors in common on both the islands were night coughing in the past year and parental history of asthma. Conclusions. the prevalence of asthma symptoms was higher in those with a lifestyle closer to that observed in urban areas (i.e., better sanitation and hygiene), reinforcing the protective effect of a rural environment. Different risk factors were associated with asthma symptoms in schoolchildren living on OI and on CBI. This fact may reflect the environmental individuality and particularities of each island.