Environmental modulation of ethanol-induced locomotor activity: Correlation with neuronal activity in distinct brain regions of adolescent and adult Swiss mice

Drug abuse is a concerning health problem in adults and has been recognized as a major problem in adolescents. induction of immediate-early genes (IEG), such as c-Fos or Egr-1, is used to identify brain areas that become activated in response to various stimuli, including addictive drugs. It is known that the environment can alter the response to drugs of abuse. Accordingly, environmental cues may trigger drug-seeking behavior when the drug is repeatedly administered in a given environment. The goal of this study was first to examine for age differences in context-dependent sensitization and then evaluate IEG expression in different brain regions. For this, groups of mice received i.p. ethanol (2.0 g/kg) or saline in the test apparatus, while other groups received the solutions in the home cage, for 15 days. One week after this treatment phase, mice were challenged with ethanol injection. Acutely, ethanol increased both locomotor activity and IEG expression in different brain regions, indistinctly, in adolescent and adult mice. However, adults exhibited a typical context-dependent behavioral sensitization following repeated ethanol treatment, while adolescent mice presented gradually smaller locomotion across treatment, when ethanol was administered in a paired regimen with environment. Conversely, ethanol-treated adolescents expressed context-independent behavioral sensitization. Overall, repeated ethanol administration desensitized IEG expression in both adolescent and adult mice, but this effect was greatest in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex of adolescents treated in the context-dependent paradigm. These results suggest developmental differences in the sensitivity to the conditioned and unconditioned locomotor effects of ethanol. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with increased prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in a cohort of HIV-Infected Brazilian women

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major risk factor for cervical disease. Using baseline data from the HIV-infected cohort of Evandro Chagas Clinical Research Institute at Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, factors associated with an increased prevalence of HPV were assessed. Methods: Samples from 634 HIV-infected women were tested for the presence of HPV infection using hybrid capture 11 and polymerase chain reaction. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using Poisson regression analysis with robust variance. Results: The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 48%, of which 94% were infected with a high-risk HPV. In multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with infection with high-risk HPV type were: younger age (<30 years of age; PR 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.1), current or prior drug use (PR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.6), self-reported history of HPV infection (PR 1.2, 95% CI 0.96-1.6), condom use in the last sexual intercourse (PR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7), and nadir CD4+ T-cell count <100 cells/mm(3) (PR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.1). Conclusions: The estimated prevalence of high-risk HPV-infection among HIV-infected women from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was high. Close monitoring of HPV-related effects is warranted in all HIV-infected women, in particular those of younger age and advanced immunosuppression. (C) 2008 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comércio eletrônico: variáveis que influenciam a propensão à compra

Este estudo objetivou verificar a percepção do consumidor sobre a relação entre as variáveis independentes: uso de dados secundários não autorizados, percepção de invasão de privacidade, percepção de proteção de privacidade, percepção de confidencialidade, percepção de autenticação, percepção de erro, comportamento intencional de uso e a variável dependente propensão à compra on line. Realizou-se um levantamento com aplicação de questionários em uma amostra de 451 usuários de Internet, alunos de graduação e de pós-graduação das Instituições de Ensino Superior de São Luís, Maranhão. A análise estatística englobou Análise Descritiva e Regressão Múltipla. Concluiu-se que apenas uma variável, comportamento intencional de uso, está correlacionada à variável dependente. Algumas limitações, implicações e sugestões de pesquisa futura foram analisadas neste estudo.

"Não compre, plante"? A tipificação penal das situações de cultivo de Canábis pelo Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo

A Lei nº 11.343 de 23 de agosto de 2006 (Lei de Drogas) instituiu o Sistema Nacional de Políticas Públicas sobre Drogas e criou as diretrizes para a política de drogas brasileira. Dentre o conjunto de medidas trazidas pela lei em seu dispositivo criminal está a criação de um tipo penal específico de cultivo de plantas para produção de drogas para consumo pessoal (art. 28, §1º). O plantio para consumo recebe o mesmo tratamento jurídico-penal que o porte para consumo (art. 28), sendo previstas sanções alternativas à privação de liberdade. O §2º do art. 28 da Lei de Drogas estabelece os critérios que as autoridades competentes do sistema de justiça criminal deverão considerar na tipificação penal das situações de cultivo. Este trabalho se debruça sobre a tipificação penal de situações de cultivo de canábis em acórdãos do Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo. A problemática de pesquisa aqui desenvolvida discute especificamente quais são os argumentos e como eles são apresentados nas decisões para justificar a determinação de que uma situação de cultivo é para fins de tráfico ou de consumo pessoal. O trabalho busca identificar como os critérios do §2º do art. 28 da Lei de Drogas são apresentados na fundamentação de decisões judiciais em que se discute na esfera criminal se uma situação de cultivo é para “consumo pessoal” ou “destinada a terceiros”. Uma pergunta central norteia a pesquisa realizada: quais os elementos e de que forma eles são utilizados nas decisões analisadas para tipificação do plantio para consumo pessoal (art. 28, §1º, da Lei de Drogas) e do plantio destinado a fornecer drogas a terceiros (art. 33, §1º, II)? Para enfrentar a problemática de pesquisa utilizamos a ferramenta de busca de acórdãos disponibilizada no sítio eletrônico do Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo. Foram analisados 135 acórdãos do TJSP que enfrentam diretamente a controvérsia relativa à tipificação penal de situações de cultivo de canábis. Os acórdãos foram proferidos entre os anos de 1998 e 2014 e foram selecionados segundo os critérios especificados no capítulo metodológico da dissertação. Os resultados quantitativos da pesquisa dizem respeito às informações gerais dos processos, elementos de prova mencionados nos acórdãos, características das situações de cultivo e fundamentação da tipificação penal. A discussão qualitativa sobre os resultados da pesquisa é promovida em quatro frentes: (i) interpretação e valoração da quantidade de drogas; (ii) antecedentes criminais, circunstâncias da prisão e do agente; (iii) materiais de venda e outros elementos relevantes na tipificação penal; e (iv) características do conjunto probatório. As questões discutidas nestas frentes circunscrevem o problema de pesquisa e é a partir delas que é feita a análise apresentada neste trabalho. Esperamos conseguir contribuir para melhor compreensão (i) da determinação da finalidade do cultivo e (ii) das implicações jurídicas que decorrem da opção legislativa pela não utilização de critérios quantitativos na definição dos crimes de tráfico de drogas e plantio para consumo.

Sociabilidades e hedonismos: etnografia entre jovens usuários de substâncias psicoativas sintéticas Fortaleza Ceará

This dissertation shows a comparison between practices related to the body, to identities and to the health of young drug takers of synthetic and manipulated psychoactive substances living in Fortaleza. Through ethnographic accompaniment of parties and two social nets of young people I was able to verify the differences and similarities that make these addicted singular and plural in their notion of ethos and world vision. Notions of being hippie/alternative and being punk are present between these nets. Because their use and circulation are developed in environments usually distinct, it is possible to trace singular aspects between the nets and its actions. In parallel, on the attempt to build a triangulated data, I had information related to youth and drugs in local media and in governmental institutions bound to health mental and city security policies. With this junction of data I present a perspective to questions evolving formal and informal important controls to the conduction of their lives and identities. I present this as a sequel to well developed studies in Brasil about youth in interface to drug use, although still not very explored in the state of Ceará.

Militância, organização e mobilização antiproibicionista da maconha: coletivos, eventos e marchas em Natal (RN)

Based on the proposal entitled anti-prohibitionist, contrary to prohibition and illegality of cannabis and its use, the anti-prohibitionist Collectives proposes to discuss the topic of drugs, especially marijuana, aiming decriminalization and legalization of this psychoactive. With this idea was articulated anti-prohibitionist movement in Natal, by organizing collectives that discuss issues related to drug use and conduct activities directed to this issue, such as Marijuana Marches and Cycles of Debates anti-prohibitionist. In this study we sought to understand the positioning in social and cultural terms, the marijuana users participating of the collectives, on the situation of illegality of their actions, in front of social, legal and moral question involved in the illicit psychoactive, through initiatives conferences, events and demonstrations for this purpose

Avaliação do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor em crianças na rede básica de saúde utilizando o teste de Denver II: identificação de fatores de risco materno

Alterations in the neuropsychomotor development of children are not rare and can manifest themselves with varying intensity at different stages of their development. In this context, maternal risk factors may contribute to the appearance of these alterations. A number of studies have reported that neuropsychomotor development diagnosis is not an easy task, especially in the basic public health network. Diagnosis requires effective, low-cost, and easy - to-apply procedures. The Denver Developmental Screening Test, first published in 1967, is currently used in several countries. It has been revised and renamed as the Denver II Test and meets the aforementioned criteria. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to apply the Denver II Test in order to verify the prevalence of suspected neuropsychomotor development delay in children between the ages of 0 and 12 months and correlate it with the following maternal risk factors: family income, schooling, age at pregnancy, drug use during pregnancy, gestational age, gestational problems, type of delivery and the desire to have children. For data collection, performed during the first 6 months of 2004, a clinical assessment was made of 398 children selected by pediatricians and the nursing team of each public health unit. Later, the parents or guardians were asked to complete a structured questionnaire to determine possible risk indicators of neuropsychomotor development delay. Finally the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST) was applied. The data were analyzed together, using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software, version 6.1. The confidence interval was set at 95%. The Denver II Test yielded normal and questionable results. This suggests compromised neuropsychomotor development in the children examined and deserves further investigation. The correlation of the results with preestablished maternal risk variables (family income, mother s schooling, age at pregnancy, drug use during the pregnancy and gestational age) was strongly significant. The other maternal risk variables (gestational problems, type of delivery and desire to have children) were not significant. Using an adjusted logistic regression model, we obtained the estimate of the greater likelihood of a child having suspected neuropsychomotor development delay: a mother with _75 4 years of schooling, chronological age less than 20 years and a drug user during pregnancy. This study produced two manuscripts, one published in Acta Cirúrgica Brasileira , in which an analysis was performed of children with suspected neuropsychomotor development delay in the city of Natal, Brazil. The other paper (to be published) analyzed the magnitude of the independent variable maternal schooling associated to neuropsychomotor development delay, every 3 months during the first twelve months of life of the children selected.. The results of the present study reinforce the multifactorial characteristic of development and the cumulative effect of maternal risk factors, and show the need for a regional policy that promotes low-cost programs for the community, involving children at risk of neuropsychomotor development delay. Moreover, they suggest the need for better qualified health professionals in terms of monitoring child development. This was an inter- and multidisciplinary study with the integrated participation of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and professionals from other areas, such as statisticians and information technology professionals, who met all the requirements of the Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte

Centro de Informação sobre Medicamentos - CIM: avaliação da informação prestada

Providing information about medication, an essential function of pharmaceutical practice to ensure rational drug use, is an important activity of hospital pharmacy services. The Drug Information Center of Onofre Lopes University Hospital (DIC-HUOL) initiated its activities in 1979 with the first Clinical Pharmacy Service in Brazil. The aim of this study was to assess information provided by DIC-HUOL, describing the profile of passive information offered by the center. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the profile of information requests (IR). One hundred percent of the IR received by the DIC between January 2008 and December 2009 were used. The results were divided by year to determine the influence of the restructuring process that occurred in 2008 and 2009. The study at DIC-HUOL showed a mean of 5.5 IR/month in 2008 and 20.3 IR/month in 2009; the mean of the last year is comparable to that of other Brazilian DIC. Most of the IR were made by medical residents (22.7%) in 2008 and by pharmacists (32.5%) in 2009. The significant use of the DIC by medical residents may be due to its location in a university hospital. The most recurrent types of IR concerned issues related to pathway/mode of administration (16.8%) and drug stability (13.1%) in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Requests were made verbally in 100% of the cases in 2008 and 78.8% in 2009, owing to the fact that most of the DIC users were professionals from the hospital itself. Time elapsed between request and response was not reported in 83.3% and 21.3% of the cases in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The most widely used bibliographic source during the two years was MICROMEDEX®, with 41.9% and 39.2%, respectively. The restructuring process had a positive influence on the DIC-HUOL, exhibiting similar parameters to those of other Brazilian DIC, but some of these parameters must be improved to achieve international standards

Sex Trade Involvement in São Paulo, Brazil and Toronto, Canada: Narratives of Social Exclusion and Fragmented Identities

An extensive international literature has been developed regarding the risk trajectories of sex trade-involved children and youth. This literature has not, however, substantially incorporated the narratives of youths regarding their experiences. In this article, the contemporary literature on child and youth sex trade-involvement is reviewed and the findings of a qualitative analysis of the narratives of 14 youth from São Paulo, Brazil and 58 youth from Toronto, Canada are presented. Substantial similarities were found between the groups of narratives with respect to abusive and unstable home experiences, pathways into the sex trade, social exclusion, and the impacts of the sex trade on physical and mental health. Key areas of divergence included the roles of poverty and drug use in entering the sex trade. The implications of shared experiences of social exclusion and fragmented identity across differing sociocultural contexts for policy and intervention are discussed.

Repeated predictable or unpredictable stress: effects on cocaine-induced locomotion and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity

Stressful experiences appear to have a strong influence on susceptibility to drug taking behavior. Cross-sensitization between stress and drug-induced locomotor response has been found. Locomotor response to novelty or cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in the nucleus accumbens and basal corticosterone levels were evaluated in male adult rats exposed to acute and chronic predictable or unpredictable stress. Rats exposed to a 14-day predictable stress showed increased locomotor response to novelty and to cocaine, whereas rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress demonstrated increased cyclic AMP-dependent PKA activity in the nucleus accumbens. Both predictable and unpredictable stress increased basal corticosterone plasma levels. These experiments demonstrated that stress-induced early cocaine sensitization depends on the stress regime and is apparently dissociated from stress-induced changes in cyclic AMP-dependent PKA activity and corticosterone levels. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Ontogênese, estresse e dependência de substâncias psicoativas

O estudo da dependência de substâncias psicoativas apresentou grandes avanços conceituais nas últimas décadas. A evolução dos conceitos foi paralela às evidências científicas que têm revelado os aspectos comportamentais e os mecanismos neurais envolvidos nesse fenômeno. Contudo, um grande desafio que permanece na pesquisa sobre a dependência de substâncias psicoativas é a identificação de quais fatores são responsáveis pela transição do uso controlado para o uso compulsivo. Está demonstrado que muitas variáveis interagem para influenciar a probabilidade de que qualquer indivíduo inicie o uso abusivo de substâncias psicoativas ou se torne dependente. Nos últimos anos, o estresse tem sido destacado como um fator importante na iniciação, manutenção e recaída da utilização de substâncias psicoativas. Neste trabalho analisamos os conceitos e teorias da farmacodependência e as principais evidências comportamentais pré-clínicas que demonstram a relação entre estresse e a vulnerabilidade ao abuso e dependência de psicoestimulantes.

Consumo de medicamentos em região do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil), 1985

Com o objetivo de avaliar as características do consumo de medicamentos na população urbana de Araraquara, SP, Brasil, foram coletados dados, por meio de entrevistas domiciliares, de uma amostra da população que consumiu pelo menos um medicamento nos quinze dias que antecederam a data da entrevista. O estudo foi realizado no período de agosto a setembro de 1985. Verificou-se que 42,1% dos medicamentos utilizados foram adquiridos sem prescrição médica. O consumo entre o sexo feminino foi maior que para o sexo masculino. Na automedicação o grupo que apresentou taxa mais elevada, segundo a faixa etária, foi o de 50 anos e mais, com 31,6%. Grande parte do consumo de medicamentos constituiu-se dos industrializados (97,6%). As prescrições médicas, feitas em consultas anteriores, e avalia das como bem sucedidas foram retomadas em situações diversas (12,0%), revelando o importante papel que o médico desempenha na formação dos critérios de escolha dos remédios utilizados nas práticas de automedicação. O farmacêutico e/ou balconista de farmácia contribui com 10,0% dos medicamentos usados que tiveram essa via de indicação. As orientações feitas por amigos, vizinhos e parentes (9,1%) revelaram intenso circuito de trocas de socializações quanto aos quadros móbidos e indicações terapêuticas.

Exposure to acute restraint stress reinstates nicotine-induced place preference in rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Psicose e toxicomanias: um estudo psicanalítico

This paper is a case study that aims to discuss the effects of drug abuse by a person with psychotic structure from a psychoanalytical perspective. The interest in this subject was born from an internship experience in the Mental Health area in which a psychotic patient had a drug abuse problem and the service treating him had difficulties dealing with this. In order to accomplish the objective of this work four theoretical chapters were written and the case is discussed throughout them articulating the theoretical issues with clinical practice. A literature review revealed that Freud and Lacan did not dedicate themselves to the study of the effect of drug use by psychotic patients but they made important contributions unfolding the theoretical and clinical psychoanalytical practice. Contemporary psychoanalytic authors suggest that the drug use made by psychotics differs from the use by neurotics, because of the particularity of the psychotic structure. It was found that drug use in psychosis can operate in three different ways: the first refers to drug use as substitute of a missing signifier helping the psychotic patient building a social bond. The second function is to intensify psychotic phenomena and the third function is to operate as an attempt to diminish those same phenomena. We conclude that, while the use of drugs in neurosis provides an individualist way of satisfaction, that excludes social aspects. For psychosis such use may operate differently and may play a role in social integration, among others effects. Such discussion can help move forward the direction of treatment of psychosis when the case involves drug use

Compreendendo a experiência de pessoas portadoras de transtorno mental: histórias de vidas severinas repletas de possibilidades

This study aims to understand the experience of people suffering from mental disorder. The patients are enrolled in a mental health ambulatory clinic in the city of Natal (RN). Mental disorders are growing rapidly in the contemporary world and are a source of intense mental suffering. Besides patients being strongly marked by a history of isolation and prejudice, they have been the target of real atrocities committed in the name of preservation of a supposed normality. The understanding and treatment of this disorder is influenced by cultural and historical inferences, depending on the period in which it is experienced. Semi-directed Interviews were conducted with a group of users, with the emphasis on giving voice to their uniqueness and individuality, highlighting how each one perceives his or her own experience. These were recorded and later transcribed by identifying the core of meanings. The results were analyzed under the gaze of the Humanist Phenomenology Existential perspective, which aims to unravel the phenomenon, without truths from volatility, highlighting the existence of the mental disorder as a way of living, being permeated by suffering mental and influenced by social problems, assuming contours very particular to each individual. Some progress has been perceived, even by users, with respect to the change of paradigm in the way of care, but still there is a consistent emphasis on medical and drug use. The changes point to the need for offering services to replace the asylum hospital model, and in addition to accept the bearer of mental disorder as a citizen, a bearer of rights who should be accepted and respected by society. Despite the pain expressed and its close liaison with suicide, their reports are full of perspectives and attitudes of confrontation facing life, pointing to new possibilities to be, recreating itself