Nycthemeral and Monthly Occupation of the Fish Assemblage on a Sheltered Beach of Baía Norte, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Interpreting fish community records is challenging for several reasons, including the lack of past ichthyofauna data, the cyclical temporal variations in the community, and the methodology employed, which usually underestimates fish assemblages. The objective of this study was to describe short-scale and meso-scale (nycthemeral period and months, respectively) temporal variations in the ichthyofauna composition and structure of a sheltered beach of Baía Norte (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina state, Brazil), using a capéchade net. Samples were collected monthly for a period of 48 hours. During the period from December 2010 to November 2011, a total of 19,302 individuals belonging to 89 species and 39 families were captured. The number of individuals that were sampled during the day and/or night was dependent on the sampling month. On average, the daytime assemblage was more abundant and different in structure and composition than the nighttime assemblage. Of the eight species that had the highest Index of Relative Importance (%IRI), five had higher variations (ANOVA F) between the day and night than between the months. This finding reinforced the need for sampling during both the day and night. The capéchade net effectively captured demersal and pelagic individuals in a broad range of sizes

Protective intraoperative ventilation with higher versus lower levels of positive end-expiratory pressure in obese patients (PROBESE): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) increase the morbidity and mortality of surgery in obese patients. High levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with lung recruitment maneuvers may improve intraoperative respiratory function, but they can also compromise hemodynamics, and the effects on PPCs are uncertain. We hypothesized that intraoperative mechanical ventilation using high PEEP with periodic recruitment maneuvers, as compared with low PEEP without recruitment maneuvers, prevents PPCs in obese patients. Methods/design The PRotective Ventilation with Higher versus Lower PEEP during General Anesthesia for Surgery in OBESE Patients (PROBESE) study is a multicenter, two-arm, international randomized controlled trial. In total, 2013 obese patients with body mass index ≥35 kg/m2 scheduled for at least 2 h of surgery under general anesthesia and at intermediate to high risk for PPCs will be included. Patients are ventilated intraoperatively with a low tidal volume of 7 ml/kg (predicted body weight) and randomly assigned to PEEP of 12 cmH2O with lung recruitment maneuvers (high PEEP) or PEEP of 4 cmH2O without recruitment maneuvers (low PEEP). The occurrence of PPCs will be recorded as collapsed composite of single adverse pulmonary events and represents the primary endpoint. Discussion To our knowledge, the PROBESE trial is the first multicenter, international randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of two different levels of intraoperative PEEP during protective low tidal volume ventilation on PPCs in obese patients. The results of the PROBESE trial will support anesthesiologists in their decision to choose a certain PEEP level during general anesthesia for surgery in obese patients in an attempt to prevent PPCs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02148692. Registered on 23 May 2014; last updated 7 June 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13063-017-1929-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Clinical Features and Treatment Outcome of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a problematic condition due to poor prognosis and difficulties in management. We evaluated the treatment and outcome of 378 mesothelioma patients referred to 6 Italian Oncology Departments. Methods: Demographic and clinical data were collected. Treatment was assessed in terms of chemotherapy (line of treatment, pemetrexed-based regimen, other therapies), surgery, and radiotherapy. Response to therapy, progression-free survival, and overall survival were evaluated. Results: 36 and 342 patients received best supportive care and active treatment, respectively; 86 patients underwent surgery, and 26 received trimodal therapy. Disease control after first-line chemotherapy was achieved in 74.2% of patients (75.7% in patients treated with pemetrexed combined with other drugs and 69% with pemetrexed as monotherapy). The disease control rate was 82.6% in pemetrexed re-challenged individuals. Median survival time was 11.6 months with supportive care, 16.2 months with chemotherapy only, 32.4 months with surgery plus chemotherapy, and 47.2 months with trimodal therapy. A more favorable prognosis was observed in responders to first-line therapy who were then actively treated with second-line (24.8 vs. 11.8 months in non-responders, p < 0.001) and third-line chemotherapy (28.9 vs. 17.8 months in non-responders, p = 0.005). Conclusion: Mesothelioma patients benefited from chemotherapy alone only when retreated in the second line after response to first-line therapy

Protective intraoperative ventilation with higher versus lower levels of positive end-expiratory pressure in obese patients (PROBESE): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) increase the morbidity and mortality of surgery in obese patients. High levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with lung recruitment maneuvers may improve intraoperative respiratory function, but they can also compromise hemodynamics, and the effects on PPCs are uncertain. We hypothesized that intraoperative mechanical ventilation using high PEEP with periodic recruitment maneuvers, as compared with low PEEP without recruitment maneuvers, prevents PPCs in obese patients. Methods/design: The PRotective Ventilation with Higher versus Lower PEEP during General Anesthesia for Surgery in OBESE Patients (PROBESE) study is a multicenter, two-arm, international randomized controlled trial. In total, 2013 obese patients with body mass index ≥35 kg/m2 scheduled for at least 2 h of surgery under general anesthesia and at intermediate to high risk for PPCs will be included. Patients are ventilated intraoperatively with a low tidal volume of 7 ml/kg (predicted body weight) and randomly assigned to PEEP of 12 cmH2O with lung recruitment maneuvers (high PEEP) or PEEP of 4 cmH2O without recruitment maneuvers (low PEEP). The occurrence of PPCs will be recorded as collapsed composite of single adverse pulmonary events and represents the primary endpoint. Discussion: To our knowledge, the PROBESE trial is the first multicenter, international randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of two different levels of intraoperative PEEP during protective low tidal volume ventilation on PPCs in obese patients. The results of the PROBESE trial will support anesthesiologists in their decision to choose a certain PEEP level during general anesthesia for surgery in obese patients in an attempt to prevent PPCs. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02148692. Registered on 23 May 2014; last updated 7 June 2016

Revisitando a função de reação fiscal no Brasil pós-Real: uma abordagem de mudanças de regime

Esse artigo estima a "função de reação fiscal" do setor público consolidado brasileiro após o Plano Real. Para lidar com a incerteza referente às possíveis mudanças de regime ocorridas nesse período, adotou-se o modelo de "Markov-Switching", no qual a probabilidade de mudança de regime é determinada endogenamente. Os resultados obtidos sugerem fortemente que a política fiscal no Brasil apresentou dois regimes distintos após o Plano Real, e o final do ano 2000 marca o período mais provável da transição entre esses dois regimes. O regime "pós-2000" caracteriza-se por uma baixa (ou mesmo nula) reação do superávit primário a variações na dívida líquida do setor público (DLSP). Em contraste, no regime anterior a 2000 (de maior volatilidade) a reação do superávit primário a variações na DLSP é bastante evidente. Observou-se, ainda, que em ambos os regimes o superávit primário parece responder positivamente a variações no produto e que em nenhum dos dois regimes o governo parece ter utilizado explicitamente a política fiscal como instrumento de controle da inflação.<br>This article estimates the "fiscal reaction function" of the Brazilian consolidated public sector after the 1994 "Real Plan". In order to overcome the uncertainty over the dates at which changes in parameters occurred this paper uses the "Markov-switching" model in which the transition probability among regimes is endogenously determined. The results reported here strongly suggest that a major structural break has happened in the Brazilian fiscal policy around the year 2000. Inded, while the "reaction" of primary balance to changes in net debt appears to be weak or even null when one looks at the 2000-2007 period, the contrary happens in the (more volatile) 1995-2000 years. Our results also suggest that the primary surplus is positively correlated with output and uncorrelated with inflation in both regimes

Sobre a observação enquanto procedimento metodológico na análise do comportamento: positivismo lógico, operacionismo e behaviorismo radical

A Análise do Comportamento adota duas posições distintas sobre a observação enquanto procedimento metodológico. Na análise experimental, tende-se a aceitar apenas a descrição de relações funcionais entre variáveis observáveis. Na análise interpretativa, contudo, relações funcionais entre variáveis observáveis e não-observáveis são inferidas. A posição da filosofia behaviorista radical sobre a questão torna-se mais clara quando examinada a partir da influência do operacionismo sobre a Psicologia, em especial nas décadas de 30 e 40. O presente artigo propõe-se a realizar tal exame, apoiando-se na literatura dedicada ao assunto e nos escritos de Skinner. Concluiu-se que a análise de eventos privados, proposta por Skinner: (1) é de natureza interpretativa; (2) refere-se, pelo menos em parte, a eventos inobserváveis publicamente; (3) lança mão, em alguma medida, da introspecção enquanto método; (4) lança mão, em alguma medida, de inferências sobre o mundo privado do outro