Viable approach towards the sustainable utilization of Negombo lagoon

Ncgombo lagoon is a shallow coastal water body located on the west coast of Sri Lanka with vitaleconomic importance. It has had a long association with the fisheries industry of the country. Duringthe past 25 years development activities associated with the fisheries industry in Negornbo lagoonhave been taken place without due consideration to its aquatic environment. To ensure sustainablemanagement of the Negornbo lagoon it is imperative to conserve the natural habitats and extract onlythe sustainable fish yield, which does not exceed the reproductive capacity of the lagoon.In this study an attempt was made to identi fy the major factors that determine the use of illegal fishingmethods which disturb the sustainable utilization of the lagoon, to examine the factors that determinefishing income of the fisherman and to explore the contribution of the Special Area Management(SAM) project in order to reduce illegal fishingThe results highlight that the fishing methods employed in Negombo lagoon are significantly determinedby the participation to the awareness programmes of the project, initial capital requirement and costof fishing. This study further reveals that the fishing income of the fishermen is significantly determinedby the method of fishing used, education level and fishing experience of the fishermen.

Randomized trial on adjuvant treatment with FOLFIRI followed by docetaxel and cisplatin versus 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid for radically resected gastric cancer

Some trial have demonstrated a benefit of adjuvant fluoropirimidine with or without platinum compounds compared with surgery alone. ITACA-S study was designed to evaluate whether a sequential treatment of FOLFIRI [irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (5-FU/LV)] followed by docetaxel plus cisplatin improves disease-free survival in comparison with 5-FU/LV in patients with radically resected gastric cancer. Patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction were randomly assigned to either FOLFIRI (irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) day 1, LV 100 mg/m(2) as 2 h infusion and 5-FU 400 mg/m(2) as bolus, days 1 and 2 followed by 600 mg/m(2)/day as 22 h continuous infusion, q14 for four cycles) followed by docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) day 1, cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) day 1, q21 for three cycles (sequential arm) or De Gramont regimen (5-FU/LV arm). From February 2005 to August 2009, 1106 patients were enrolled, and 1100 included in the analysis: 562 in the sequential arm and 538 in the 5-FU/LV arm. With a median follow-up of 57.4 months, 581 patients recurred or died (297 sequential arm and 284 5-FU/LV arm), and 483 died (243 and 240, respectively). No statistically significant difference was detected for both disease-free [hazard ratio (HR) 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-1.17; P = 0.974] and overall survival (OS) (HR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.82-1.18; P = 0.865). Five-year disease-free and OS rates were 44.6% and 44.6%, 51.0% and 50.6% in the sequential and 5-FU/LV arm, respectively