DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE TEMPORAL VARIATION OF THE PURSE-SEINE FLEET OPERATION IN ITAJAÍ HARBOR, BRAZIL, BETWEEN 1997 AND 1999.

A principal frota que desembarca no porto pesqueiro de Itajaí, SC, é a frota de traineiras, a qual representa 30% do peso dos desembarques. Essa frota tem como espécie-alvo a sardinhaverdadeira (Sardinella brasiliensis). O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever e analisar as variações temporais da operação de pesca da frota de traineiras entre 1997 e 1999. Os aspectos analisados foram: (1) descrição da frota através do comprimento dos barcos, potência do motor, número de tripulantes, tipo de casco e conservação, capacidade do porão e comprimento e altura da rede de cerco; e (2) variação temporal da operação de pesca através do número de lances por viagem, tempo de duração dos lances, número de dias no mar por viagem, número de dias de pesca por viagem e tempo de procura. No período analisado foram obtidos um total de 797 registros. De forma geral, a descrição da frota indica que houve um aumento do poder de pesca nos últimos 10 anos, apesar da redução do número de barcos. Por outro lado, as características da operação de pesca foram relacionadas com as flutuações na disponibilidade da espécie-alvo.xThe main fishing fleet that lands in Itajaí harbor, Brazil, is the purse-seine one, which represents 30% of the landed weight. This fleet has as target species the Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis). The objective of this work is to describe and to analyze the temporal variations of the fishing operation of the purse-seiners between 1997 and 1999. The analyzed aspects were: (1) description of the fleet using the ships length, motor power, crew size, skull and conservation type, hold capacity, and net’s length and height; and (2) temporal variation of the fishing operation using number of tows per trip, time and duration of tows, number of days at sea per trip, number of fishing days per trip and searching time of schools. In the analyzed period, a total of 797 records were obtained. In general, the fleet description indicated that there was an increase of the fishing power in the last 10 years, in spite of the reduction of the number of ships. On the other hand, the results suggest that the characteristics of the fishing operation are related with the oscillations of the target species availability

Cyclodextrin/cellulose hydrogel with gallic acid to prevent wound infection

Cyclodextrin-based hydrogels have been described as suitable for the controlled-release of bioactive molecules to be used as wound dressing. These materials have major advantages, since they gather the hydrogel properties (high degree of swelling and easy manipulation) and the encapsulation ability of cyclodextrins. β-cyclodextrin (β) or hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβ) was cross-linked (1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether) with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose under mild conditions. The hydrogels were chemically characterized by swelling degree, FTIR, DSC and contact angle. The gallic acid loading and release was also analysed, as well the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of the polymeric networks. The hydrogels obtained were firm and transparent, with good swelling ability. The gel-HPβ had a surface more hydrophilic when compared with the gel-β. Nevertheless, both hydrogels were capable to incorporate gallic acid and sustain the release for 48 h. The antibacterial activity of gallic acid was maintained after its adsorption within the polymeric matrix, as well as, gallic acid effect on fibroblast proliferation. Therefore, gel-β and gel-HPβ conjugated with gallic acid were shown to be a viable option for antibacterial wound dressing.The authors thank the FCT Strategic Projects PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013, PEst-C/CTM/UI0264/2011, the Project "BioHealth-Biotechnology and Bioengineering approaches to improve health quality'', Ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000027, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional doNorte (ON.2-ONovoNorte), QREN, FEDER, and E. Pinho grant (SFRH/BD/62665/2009)

Novel image–novel location object recognition task sensitive to age-related cognitive decline in nondemented elderly

Traditional tests used in the clinic to identify dementia, such as the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), are useful to identify severe cognitive impairments but might be less sensitive to detect more subtle age-related cognitive changes. Previously, the novel image–novel location (NINL) object recognition test was shown to be sensitive to detect effects of apolipoprotein E4, a risk factor for developing age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, in nondemented elderly. In the present longitudinal study, performance on the MMSE and the NINL tests were compared over a 4-year period. Individual NINL scores over this period were highly correlated. In addition, while MMSE scores did not change over the 4-year period, NINL scores did. In a final testing session of a subset of the participants, NINL scores correlated with logical memory and word recall lists, cognitive tasks used to detect dementia in the clinic, as well as clinical dementia rating scales. These results support that the NINL might be a valuable tool to assess age-related cognitive decline

Service planning and delivery outcomes of home adaptations for ageing in the UK

In response to the impact of demographic change on the healthcare system, ‘ageing in place’ was introduced as a national policy to support elderly people living independently in their homes. Housing adaptation is essential for successful independent living and has been given increased political priority. However, adaptation policies and practice vary regionally, reflecting statutory limits, policy choices and local planning. This study investigated the current status of adaptation provision in different regions in the UK and assessed the effectiveness of local service planning and management. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research strategy was employed. In the first quantitative phase, a questionnaire survey was carried out involving all 378 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. This was followed by a second qualitative phase involving individual interviews with five professionals and two clients and a focus group meeting with six key stakeholders. The study found that the current number of adaptations was relatively small compared with potential demands in most local areas, as was funding for adaptations. On the operational side, the adaptation process was fragmented, involving different service groups in many local authorities. There were disconnections between these groups, which often caused inefficiencies and poor effectiveness. Moving forward, local authorities need to have a clear vision of the overall need for adaptations and allocate sufficient resources. Practical guidelines are also needed for better integrated working and performance management

Physiological Correlates of Volunteering

We review research on physiological correlates of volunteering, a neglected but promising research field. Some of these correlates seem to be causal factors influencing volunteering. Volunteers tend to have better physical health, both self-reported and expert-assessed, better mental health, and perform better on cognitive tasks. Research thus far has rarely examined neurological, neurochemical, hormonal, and genetic correlates of volunteering to any significant extent, especially controlling for other factors as potential confounds. Evolutionary theory and behavioral genetic research suggest the importance of such physiological factors in humans. Basically, many aspects of social relationships and social activities have effects on health (e.g., Newman and Roberts 2013; Uchino 2004), as the widely used biopsychosocial (BPS) model suggests (Institute of Medicine 2001). Studies of formal volunteering (FV), charitable giving, and altruistic behavior suggest that physiological characteristics are related to volunteering, including specific genes (such as oxytocin receptor [OXTR] genes, Arginine vasopressin receptor [AVPR] genes, dopamine D4 receptor [DRD4] genes, and 5-HTTLPR). We recommend that future research on physiological factors be extended to non-Western populations, focusing specifically on volunteering, and differentiating between different forms and types of volunteering and civic participation