Factors Relating To Failure To Quit Smoking: A Prospective Cohort Study [fatores Relacionados Ao Insucesso Na Cessação Tabágica: Um Estudo De Coorte Prospectivo]

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Considering the difficulties in stopping smoking, this article aimed to identify factors relating to failure of attempts to quit smoking among smokers who sought care at an outpatient clinic in a general university hospital. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study evaluating 100 smokers who sought treatment at the Psychoactive Substances Outpatient Clinic. METHODS: The variables gathered were sociodemographic factors; degree of dependence (Fagerström questionnaire); stage of motivation for change (University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale); and presence of depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). The patients were followed up after 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks to identify factors relating to failure to quit smoking. RESULTS: The patients were mostly women (75%), between 40 and 59 years of age (67%); with incomplete elementary education (60%); with leisure activities (57%); suffering from tobacco-related disease (53%); with previous attempts to quit smoking (70%); with a medical recommendation to stop (51%); with encouragement to stop (66%); and with a high degree of dependence (78%). The main motivational stage was contemplation/action (43%); the anxiety rate was 64% and the depression rate was 39%. The quitting rate was 66% among adherents and 17% among non-adherents (P < 0.001). Lack of success was correlated with absence of leisure, higher education and absence of tobacco-related disease. CONCLUSION: The variables of lack of leisure activities, higher education and/or lack of tobacco-related disease correlated with failure to quit smoking among smokers who sought treatment at an outpatient clinic in a tertiary general hospital.1296380386Tabaco e pobreza: Um ciclo vicioso, , http://www.opas.org.br/MOSTRANT.CFM?CODIGODEST=213, Organização Panamericana de Saúde. Available from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 2)(2009) WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2009: Implementing smoke-free environments, , http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241563918_eng_full.pdf, World Health Organization. Geneva: World Health OrganizationAvailable from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 2)Tabagismo 2008, , http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/populacao/trabalhoerendimento/pnad2008/suplementos/tabagismo/tab3_2.pdf, Brasil. Ministério do Planejamento, Orçamento e Gestão. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios. 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Available from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 17)Azevedo, R.C.S., Boscolo, M.M., Higa, C.M., Diretrizes para abordagem do tabagista, , http://www.fcm.unicamp.br/diretrizes/d_n_c/diretr_abord_tabagista/diretr_abord_tabagista_pag_1.html, Available from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 2)Jain, A., Treating nicotine addiction (2003) BMJ., 327 (7428), pp. 1394-1395van Loon, A.J., Tijhuis, M., Surtees, P.G., Ormel, J., Determinants of smoking status: Cross-sectional data on smoking initiation and cessation (2005) Eur J Public Health., 15 (3), pp. 256-261Melo, W.V., Oliveira, M.S., Ferreira, E.A., Motivational stages, anxiety and depression symptoms during smoking treatment (2006) Interação Psicol., 10 (1), pp. 91-99Fagerström, K.O., Measuring degree of physical dependence to tobacco smoking with reference to individualization of treatment (1978) Addict Behav., 3 (3-4), pp. 235-241Figlie, N.B., Pillon, S.C., Dunn, J., Laranjeira, R., The frequency of smoking and problem drinking among general hospital inpatients in Brazil-using the AUDIT and Fagerström questionnaires (2000) Sao Paulo Med J., 118 (5), pp. 139-143McConnaughy, E.A., DiClemente, C.C., Prochaska, J.O., Velicer, W.F., Stages of change in psychotherapy: A follow-up report (1989) Psychotherapy: Theory/Research/Practice/Training., 26 (4), pp. 494-503. , http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033320409605283, Available from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 2)Prochaska, J.O., di Clemente, C.C., Transtheoretical therapy: Toward a more integrative model of change (1982) Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice., 19 (3), pp. 276-288. , http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/psycarticles-reg/transtheoretical-therapy-toward-a-more-integrative-model-of-change-c76zXPn7tM, Available from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 2)Zigmond, A.S., Snaith, R.P., The hospital anxiety and depression scale (1983) Acta Psychiatr Scand., 67 (6), pp. 361-370Botega, N.J., Bio, M.R., Zomignani, M.A., Garcia, C., Pereira, W.A., Transtornos do humor em enfermaria de clínica médica e validação de escala de medida (HAD) de ansiedade e depressão [Mood disorders among inpatients in ambulatory and validation of the anxiety and depression scale HAD] (1995) Rev Saude Publica., 29 (5), pp. 355-363Fique atento! 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Available from: Accessed in 2011 (Jun 2)Haggsträm, F.M., Chatkin, J.M., Cavalet-Blanco, D., Rodin, V., Fritsher, C.C., Smoking cessation with bupropion and nicotine replacement (2001) J Pneumol., 27 (5), pp. 255-261Sales, M.P.U., Figueiredo, M.R.F., Oliveira, M.I., Castro, H.N., Outpatient smoking cessation program in the state of Ceará, Brazil: Patient profiles and factors associated with treatment success (2006) J Bras Pneumol., 32 (5), pp. 410-417Abdullah, A.S., Yam, H.K., Intention to quit smoking, attempts to quit, and successful quitting among Hong Kong Chinese smokers: Population prevalence and predictors (2005) Am J Health Promot., 19 (5), pp. 346-354Kessler, R.C., McGonagle, K.A., Zhao, S., Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. 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How much should one sample to accurately predict the distribution of species assemblages? A virtual community approach

Correlative species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to predict species distributions and assemblages, with many fundamental and applied uses. Different factors were shown to affect SDM prediction accuracy. However, real data cannot give unambiguous answers on these issues, and for this reason, artificial data have been increasingly used in recent years. Here, we move one step further by assessing how different factors can affect the prediction accuracy of virtual assemblages obtained by stacking individual SDM predictions (stacked SDMs, S-SDM). We modeled 100 virtual species in a real study area, testing five different factors: sample size (200-800-3200), sampling method (nested, non-nested), sampling prevalence (25%, 50%, 75% and species true prevalence), modelling technique (GAM, GLM, BRT and RF) and thresholding method (ROC, MaxTSS, and MaxKappa). We showed that the accuracy of S-SDM predictions is mostly affected by modelling technique followed by sample size. Models fitted by GAM/GLM had a higher accuracy and lower variance than BRT/RF. Model accuracy increased with sample size and a sampling strategy reflecting the true prevalence of the species was most successful. However, even with sample sizes as high as &gt;3000 sites, residual uncertainty remained in the predictions, potentially reflecting a bias introduced by creating and/or resampling the virtual species. Therefore, when evaluating the accuracy of predictions from S-SDMs fitted with real field data, one can hardly expect reaching perfect accuracy, and reasonably high values of similarity or predictive success can already be seen as valuable predictions. We recommend the use of a ‘plot-like’ sampling method (best approximation of the species’ true prevalence) and not simply increasing the number of presences-absences of species. As presented here, virtual simulations might be used more systematically in future studies to inform about the best accuracy level that one could expect given the characteristics of the data and the methods used to fit and stack SDMs

Development of a Farm Management Tool for the Brazilian Conditions

This paper presents results of a managerial information system prototype developed for modern agriculturalists in the Brazilian Cerrado´s Region. It follows a case study approach. One medium scale (422 hectares) of operation was envisioned, archetypical accounting framework was established, aiming to provide better data and information to support farm management decisions. The system has proved to be useful in examining decision making at farm level and in ex ante evaluations of changes in farm-level input use, output and profitability in response to price, policy, and/or technology changes. Data entry was done in ACCESS for user friendliness and global availability; presentational materials were prepared in ACCESS and in EXCEL.Family farm system, Microsoft ACCESS application, managerial information, cost accounting, Farm Management,

Using species richness and functional traits predictions to constrain assemblage predictions from stacked species distribution models

Aim: Modelling species at the assemblage level is required to make effective forecast of global change impacts on diversity and ecosystem functioning. Community predictions may be achieved using macroecological properties of communities (MEM), or by stacking of individual species distribution models (S-SDMs). To obtain more realistic predictions of species assemblages, the SESAM framework suggests applying successive filters to the initial species source pool, by combining different modelling approaches and rules. Here we provide a first test of this framework in mountain grassland communities. Location: The western Swiss Alps. Methods: Two implementations of the SESAM framework were tested: a "Probability ranking" rule based on species richness predictions and rough probabilities from SDMs, and a "Trait range" rule that uses the predicted upper and lower bound of community-level distribution of three different functional traits (vegetative height, specific leaf area and seed mass) to constraint a pool of environmentally filtered species from binary SDMs predictions. Results: We showed that all independent constraints expectedly contributed to reduce species richness overprediction. Only the "Probability ranking" rule allowed slightly but significantly improving predictions of community composition. Main conclusion: We tested various ways to implement the SESAM framework by integrating macroecological constraints into S-SDM predictions, and report one that is able to improve compositional predictions. We discuss possible improvements, such as further improving the causality and precision of environmental predictors, using other assembly rules and testing other types of ecological or functional constraints

Cognitive performance of young and elderly subjects on the free word recall memory test: effect of presentation order on recall order

The influence of aging on memory has been extensively studied, but the importance of short-term memory and recall sequence has not. The objective of the current study was to examine the recall order of words presented on lists and to determine if age affects recall sequence. Physically and psychologically healthy male subjects were divided into two groups according to age, i.e., 23 young subjects (20 to 30 years) and 50 elderly subjects (60 to 70 years) submitted to the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and the free word recall test. The order of word presentation significantly affected the 3rd and 4th words recalled (P < 0.01; F = 14.6). In addition, there was interaction between the presentation order and the type of list presented (P < 0.05; F = 9.7). Also, both groups recalled the last words presented from each list (words 13-15) significantly more times 3rd and 4th than words presented in all remaining positions (P < 0.01). The order of word presentation also significantly affected the 5th and 6th words recalled (P = 0.05; F = 7.5) and there was a significant interaction between the order of presentation and the type of list presented (P < 0.01; F = 20.8). The more developed the cognitive functions, resulting mainly from formal education, the greater the cognitive reserve, helping to minimize the effects of aging on the long-term memory (episodic declarative).Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Psicofarmacologia Instituto do SonoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PsicobiologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de PsicobiologiaSciEL

Avaliação da atividade fenilalanina amônia liásica em folhas de bananeira inoculadas com o fungo Mycosphaerella fijiensis.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os atributos bioquímicos envolvidos na defesa da bananeira ao ataque do fungo M. fijiensis, notadamente avaliar o papel da enzima fenilalanina amônia liase nesta resposta, nas variedades Caprichosa, Garantida, FHIA-18, Prata Ken, Prata Anã, Maçã e Grande Naine, nos tempos: 0, 6h, 24h, 48h, 72h dias após a inoculação. Após a coleta, as folhas foram pesadas e obtidos os extratos totais por meio de maceração das folhas com tampão acetato de sódio 50 mM, pH 5,2, os quais foram utilizados nas determinações de proteínas e atividade enzimática

Infrared thermography as a tool in welfare assessment of equines handled in paddock and stall

ABSTRACT This study aims to describe the effects of stabling on thermographic characteristics of adult equine limbs, to compare the level of animal welfare between horses kept loose and those under continuous stabling and to investigate whether the Infrared Thermography (IRT) can be an effective tool to evaluate the welfare of equines. 24 gelding horses of Brazilian Sport Horse breed, aged between 5 and 9 years and weighing 500 ± 50kg were used in a 6-week trial. They were divided into 2 groups: 1) Paddock - equines kept in paddocks and ridden exclusively on urban patrol; 2) Stall - animals that ridden exclusively on urban patrol, but were kept in continuous stabling, housed in 12m² with concrete and bedless stables. Every animal was evaluated once a week over six weeks. Animal behavior and temperature of the eyes and distal extremities of the limbs as well as blood samples were collected. The confined horses showed stereotyped behavior and higher serum cortisol, indicating lower animal welfare when compared to those managed in a pasture. Limb IRT showed predictive potential for identifying chronic stress as the discriminating analysis showed 74.5% hits while eye temperature was not efficient for this purpose