Aspectos biológicos do peixe-olhudo-dentinho, Synagrops bellus (Actinopterygii: Acropomatidae), da plataforma externa e talude superior do estado de São Paulo, Brasil.

Biological aspects of the blackmouth bass Synagrops bellus from the outer shelf and upper slope along the coast of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, are presented. The species represented about 71.6% and 9.7% in number of the total catch performed by balloom trawl in the isobaths of 300m and 500m respectively. Body sizes of 266 individuals ranged between 130 and 265mm total length, with sex ratio of 55.9% males, and 44.1% females, where most individuals were in maturation stage. Twenty two food items were found, pointing out Myctophidae fishes, Penaeidea and Caridea shrimps, Brachyuran megalopae, Enoploteuthidae and Cranchiidae cephalopods, pteropods and tunicates. The intestinal coefficient increases as the body size increase, and the number of gill rakers ranged between 16 and 17. Length-weight relationship was WT = 6.0 x 10-6 x TL3.12, r2 = 0.9495. Synagrops bellus is an important link between zooplankton and micronekton, and demersal and pelagic predators in the outer shelf and upper slope in southwestern Brazilian coast.

Protagonismo silencioso: a presença da OPAS na formação de recursos humanos em saúde no Brasil

The aim of this study is to assess the contribution of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to the field of human resources for health in Brazil. The assumption is that this organization not only influenced the development of this field, but but that it was also influenced by Brazilian institutions and by national political movements, through the interaction of its consultants with these movements. Four projects were selected, through which the contribution of PAHO was evaluated: the Program for the Strategic Preparation of Health Personnel (PPREPS), the Project for the Large Scale Formation of Middle and Low Level Personnel (Large Scale Project), the Project for Qualification in the Development of Human Resources in Health (CADRHU) and the Project for the Managerial Development of Basic Units of the National Health System (GERUS). To operacionalize the study, we used three basic complementary procedures: a bibliographic research, documental research and an interview. The time frame considered was from 1975, the year an agreement was signed between PAHO, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Culture, establishing PPREPS. It was through this program that the first PAHO team of national human resource consultants was contracted. The period between 1975 and 1999 was marked by political and social movements that changed the course of health in the country; among these was the Movement of Sanitary Reform in Brazil, which culminated in the implementation of the National Health System (SUS). This paper shows the connections of the PAHO consultants with this movement and the implications that this had for the Program of Cooperation in the Development of Human Resources of PAHO/Brazil. It also demonstrates that as the program became contaminated by national movements of health system reorganization and of democratization of Brazilian society, it proposed, in cooperation with national institutions, an organization of determinate areas of operation of these same institutions. The manuscript further reveals that, with the Large Scale Project, the human resources program determined the pedagogical and methodological option that would be the model for various other educational projects undertaken by a number of Brazilian institutions with the technical cooperation of PAHO. And finally, the repercussions and contributions of these projects, which strengthened the the field of human resources in the public health services of the country, are identified. Data analysis was based mainly on the theories of Bourdieu, Gramsci and Freire

Occupational exposure of physical therapists to electric and magnetic fields and the efficacy of Faraday cages

Objective. Measure physical therapists' exposure to the electric and magnetic fields produced by 17 shortwave diathermy devices in physical therapy clinics in the city of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo State, Brazil. Compare the observed values with the exposure levels recommended by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Observe the efficacy of Faraday cages as a means of protecting physical therapists from exposure to oscillating electric and magnetic fields.Methods. Electric and magnetic field measurements were taken at four points during actual physical therapy sessions: in proximity to the operator's pelvis and head, the devices' electrical cables, and the electrodes. The measuring equipment was a Wandel & Goltermann EMR-200.Results. The values obtained in proximity to the electrodes and cables were 10 to 30 times higher than ICNIRP's recommended occupational reference levels. In the shortwave diathermy treatment rooms with Faraday cages, the fields were even higher than in treatment rooms not so equipped-principally the magnetic field, where the values were more than 100 times higher than the ICNIRP exposure limit.Conclusions. The electric and magnetic field intensities obtained in this study are generally above the exposure levels recommend in ICNIRP standards. It was also observed that the Faraday cage offers physical therapists no protection, and instead, increases their level of exposure.

Estoque doméstico e uso de medicamentos em uma população cadastrada na estratégia saúde da família no Brasil

Objective. To identify families served by the family health strategy (FHS) storing medicines at home, to evaluate storage conditions, and to investigate medicine use practices.Methods. The study was conducted in a municipality in the state of São Paulo with two FHS units serving 1 867 households. The sample was selected by means of stratified random sampling. Data collection was conducted through semistructured interviews from July to October 2008.Results. One resident was interviewed in each of the 280 households visited. Medicines were found in 255 households (91.1%). of 326 storage locations, 217 (75.8%) were inadequate (easily accessible to children or exposed to moisture, light). of the 2 578 medicines identified, 2 059 medicines (79.9%) in 236 (84.3%) households had safety or identification problems. of the 280 respondents, 179 (63.9%) used medications. of these, 24 were self-medicating, only one with an over-the-counter drug. Only 44 users had the prescription for their medication, and 21 did not follow the prescription in terms of dosage or had interrupted the treatment.Conclusions. Non-adherence to recommended treatment can lead to negative outcomes, such as inefficiency (using dosages lower than prescribed), poisoning (using dosages higher than prescribed), and other adverse reactions.

Violência entre parceiros íntimos e álcool: prevalência e fatores associados

Objective. To estimate physical violence between intimate partners and to examine the association between violence and sociodemographic variables, use of alcohol, and other related factors.Method. This epidemiologic survey included a stratified probabilistic sample representative of the population from the city of São Paulo in economic and educational terms. The Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS) questionnaire was employed. The sampling unit was the home, where all individuals older than 18 years were candidates for interview. The final sample included 1 631 people. Statistical analysis employed the Rao Scott test and logistic regression.Results. The response rate was 74.5%. Most participants were female (58.8%), younger than 40 years of age (52%), or had 5 to 12 years of schooling. of the overall group, 5.4% reported having been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner and 5.4% declared having been aggressors of intimate partners in the past 2 years. Most men declared that none of those involved had ingested alcohol at the moment of aggression. Most women reported that nobody or only the man had drunk. Being a victim or an aggressor was associated with younger age and having a heavy-drinking partner. Women suffered more serious aggression, requiring medical care, and expressed more anger and disgust at aggression than men.Conclusions. The results underscore the importance of the association between alcohol use and risk of aggression between intimate partners, and may contribute to the design of public policies aimed to control this situation.

Antibiotic treatment schemes for very severe community-acquired pneumonia in children: a randomized clinical study

Objective. To compare clinical response to initial empiric treatment with oxacillin plus ceftriaxone and amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid in hospitalized children diagnosed with very severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).Methods. A prospective randomized clinical study was conducted among children 2 months to 5 years old with a diagnosis of very severe CAP in the pediatric ward of São Paulo State University Hospital in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, from April 2007 to May 2008. Patients were randomly divided into two groups by type of treatment: an oxacillin/ceftriaxone group (OCG, n = 48) and an amoxicillin/clavulanic acid group (ACG, n = 56). Analyzed outcomes were: time to clinical improvement (fever and tachypnea), time on oxygen therapy, length of stay in hospital, need to widen antimicrobial spectrum, and complications (including pleural effusion).Results. The two groups did not differ statistically for age, sex, symptom duration before admission, or previous antibiotic treatment. Time to improve tachypnea was less among ACG patients than OCG patients (4.8 +/- 2.2 versus 5.8 +/- 2.4 days respectively; P = 0.028), as was length of hospital stay (11.0 +/- 6.2 versus 14.4 +/- 4.5 days respectively; P = 0.002). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for fever improvement time, time on oxygen therapy, need to widen antimicrobial spectrum, or frequency of pleural effusion.Conclusions. Both treatment plans are effective in treating very severe CAP in 2-monthto 5-year-old hospitalized children. The only analyzed outcome that favored amoxicillin/clavulanic acid treatment was time required to improve tachypnea.

Health surveys and use of maternal and child health care services in three municipalities within the São Paulo metropolitan area

Objectives. To describe the changes in the use of maternal and child health care services by residents of three municipalities-Embu, Itapecerica da Serra, and Taboao da Serra-in the São Paulo metropolitan area, 12 years after the implementation of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil, and to analyze the potential of population-based health care surveys as sources of data to evaluate these changes.Methods. Two population-based, cross-sectional surveys were carried out in 1990 and 2002 in municipalities located within the São Paulo metropolitan area. For children under 1 year of age, the two periods were compared in terms of outpatient services utilization and hospital admission; for the mothers, the periods were compared in terms of prenatal care and deliveries. In both surveys, stratified and multiple-stage conglomerate sampling was employed, with standardization of interview questions.Results. The most important changes observed were regarding the location of services used for prenatal care, deliveries, and hospitalization of children less than 1 year of age. There was a significant increase in the use of services in the surrounding region or hometown, and decrease in the utilization of services in the city of São Paulo (in 1990, 80% of deliveries and almost all admissions for children less than 1 year versus 32% and 46%, respectively, in 2002). The use of primary care units and 24-hour walk-in clinics also increased. All these changes reflect care provided by public resources. In the private sector, there was a decrease in direct payments and payments through company-paid health insurance and an increase in payments through self-paid health insurance.Conclusions. The major changes observed in the second survey occurred simultaneous to the changes that resulted from the implementation of the SUS. Population-based health surveys are adequate for analyzing and comparing the utilization of health care services at different times.

First case of an infection of the metacercariae of Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928) (Digenea, Diplostomidae) in Hypostomus regani (Ihering, 1905) (Siluriformes: Loricariidae).

Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928) (Digenea, Diplostomidae) was recorded infecting the eyes of a Hypostomus regani (Ihering, 1905) (Siluriformes: Loricariidae). This is the first report of a loricarid fish infected with A. compactum.

Endoparasites new to the Neotropical freshwater turtle, Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Bour 1973) (Testudines, Chelidae), from central Brazil.

Information on endoparasites infecting Neotropical turtles is scarce. The present paper reports the occurrence of endoparasites in three adult individuals of Vanderhaege's Toad-Headed Turtle (Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei). The records include an undescribed nematode species in the genus Spiroxys, not previously reported for the family Chelidae, and the first South American record of a monogenetic trematode of the genus Neopolystoma.

Rabies transmitted by vampire bats to humans: An emerging zoonotic disease in Latin America?

Human rabies transmitted by vampire bats reached new heights in Latin America in 2005. A total of 55 human cases were reported in several outbreaks, 41 of them in the Amazon region of Brazil. Peru and Brazil had the highest number of reported cases from 1975 to 2006. In Peru, outbreaks involving more than 20 cases of bat-transmitted human rabies were reported during the 1980s and 1990s. During this period, a smaller number of cases were reported from outbreaks in Brazil. A comparison of data from field studies conducted in Brazil in 2005 with those from the previous decade suggests similar bat-bite situations at the local level. The objective of this study was to review the epidemiological situation and, on the basis of this information, discuss possible factors associated with the outbreaks. Prevention and control measures already recommended for dealing with this problem are also reviewed, and some further suggestions are provided.

Composition of the aquatic invertebrate fauna associated to the mangrove vegetation of a coastal river, analyzed through a manipulative experiment.

The present study analyzed the composition of the aquatic fauna associated to the mangrove forest in a southeastern Brazilian river. The composition of the macrofauna in the roots of the marginal vegetation located at three different salinity stretches was analyzed by sampling pieces of the submerged branches of the vegetation (natural substrate) and pieces of sisal rope (artificial substrate), installed close to the natural vegetation and sampled after a period of 14 colonization days. In both types of substrate, twelve taxonomic groups were sampled, representing three phyla (Cnidaria, Annelida and Arthropoda). The crustaceans, corresponding to the most diversified group, were represented by Copepoda, Tanaidacea, Isopoda, Amphipoda and Decapoda. The highest salinity stretch showed the highest abundance, with a progressive decrease from high to low salinity for both substrates. Copepoda and Tanaidacea predominated on both substrates, although the artificial substrate exhibited the highest total abundance and species richness. Considering the relative abundance of the taxonomic groups on both substrates, the majority of groups predominated in the highest salinity range. Significant differences on the longitudinal distribution of abundance were associated to the variation on salinity and with the complexity of the substrate.

Population features of the spider crab Acanthonyx scutiformis (Dana 1851) (Crustacea, Majoidea, Epialtidae) associated with rocky-shore algae from southeastern Brazil.

Acanthonyx scutiformis, an endemic species in the Brazilian coast, is commonly found in intertidal rocky-shore algal communities. This study analyzes the population biology of A. scutiformis from Ubatuba region. A total of 371 specimens were collected over one year. Size range was 4.2[long dash]12.7 mm CW (carapace width) for females and 3.7[long dash]15.8 mm CW for males. Females predominated in intermediate size classes, whereas males prevailed in the largest ones. The estimated size when 50% crabs were mature was 10.7 mm CW for males and 8.9 mm CW for females. Sex ratio varied among the demographic groups. The processes that influence A. scutiformis population structure can be related to the different times males and females reach sexual maturity and probably to the distinct predation pressures on each sex during the adult phase.

Considerações sobre a reprodução de duas espécies de raias (Myliobatiformes, Potamotrygonidae) na região do Alto Rio Paraná, Sudeste do Brasil

This article presents preliminary information about the reproduction of two species of freshwater stingrays of the genus Potamotrygon, found in the Upper Parana River (Southwest Brazil), where these animals are exotic. Males of P. motoro and P. falkneri become sexually mature around 270 mm and 260 mm of disc width (DW), respectively. Females become sexually mature around 330 mm of DW in P. motoro and 325 mm in P. falkneri. In both species, females are bigger and heavier than males, reaching about 700 mm of DW and 20 kg. Copulating has not been recorded, but one courtship ritual has been observed during the dry season. Mature males present a different dentition from females and young males, which is probably related to their reproductive behavior instead of to their feeding habit. The female fertility has varied from one to three offspring. A miscarriage has been observed at different stages of embryonic development always when pregnant females were captured. In spite of the great history of anthropization of the study area, it seems that hydrological cycles are related to the reproduction of stingrays. Nevertheless, it would be necessary to conduct deeper studies to verify or not this influence.

Importância da vegetação ripária em região intensamente desmatada no sudeste do Brasil: um estudo com peixes de riacho

e investigated whether the presence of degraded riparian forests along streams influences the fish communities' composition in comparison with environments completely deforested. Stream stretches (1st to 3rd order) with degraded riparian forest (n = 20) and without riparian forest (n = 20) in the micro-basins of Aguape and Tiete (downstream portion) rivers, northwest of São Paulo, Brazil, were selected for ichthyofauna sampling. Overall, 6,695 individuals, representing six orders, 17 families and 55 species were registered. Forested streams presented higher observed and estimated richness than deforested streams. However, forested streams, on average, had lower total richness and richness of tolerant species than deforested streams, indicating higher beta diversity among forested streams. A difference on the species composition between streams groups was also registered. Most of the unique species to deforested streams, and of those caught in greater abundance and frequency in these streams, are tolerant to structural degradation of the habitat. In contrast, most species that occurred exclusively or preferentially in forested streams have specialized habits and are more dependent on micro-habitats associated with the presence of riparian vegetation. Our results indicate that streams with riparian vegetation, though degraded, are able to maintain distinct communities when compared to those found in completely deforested streams, allowing the occurrence of species with more specialized habits and contributing to the maintenance of communities regionally more diverse.