Universidade do Estado do Pará

Zika virus (ZIKV) has recently caused a pandemic disease, and many cases of ZIKV infection in pregnant women resulted in abortion, stillbirth, deaths and congenital defects including microcephaly, which now has been proposed as ZIKV congenital syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the in situ immune response profile and mechanisms of neuronal cell damage in fatal Zika microcephaly cases. Brain tissue samples were collected from 15 cases, including 10 microcephalic ZIKV-positive neonates with fatal outcome and five neonatal control flavivirus-negative neonates that died due to other causes, but with preserved central nervous system (CNS) architecture. In microcephaly cases, the histopathological features of the tissue samples were characterized in three CNS areas (meninges, perivascular space, and parenchyma). The changes found were mainly calcification, necrosis, neuronophagy, gliosis, microglial nodules, and inflammatory infiltration of mononuclear cells. The in situ immune response against ZIKV in the CNS of newborns is complex. Despite the predominant expression of Th2 cytokines, other cytokines such as Th1, Th17, Treg, Th9, and Th22 are involved to a lesser extent, but are still likely to participate in the immunopathogenic mechanisms of neural disease in fatal cases of microcephaly caused by ZIKV.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to contribute long-term safety data for infliximab and other therapies in Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: We prospectively evaluated CD patients enrolled in the large, observational Crohn's Therapy, Resource, Evaluation, and Assessment Tool registry, established to compare infliximab safety with conventional nonbiological medications in CD. RESULTS: A total of 6,273 patients were enrolled and evaluated on or before 23 February 2010; 3,420 received infliximab (17,712 patient-years; 89.9% received ≥ 2 infusions) and 2,853 received other-treatments-only (13,251 patient-years). Mean length of patient follow-up was 5.2 years. More infliximab- than other-treatments-only-treated patients had moderate-to-severe (30.6% vs. 10.7%) or severe-to-fulminant (2.5% vs. 0.6%) disease severity (P < 0.001). In the year before enrollment, more infliximab- than other-treatments-only-treated patients required surgical intervention (17.4% vs. 13.6%), medical hospitalization (14.2% vs. 8.8%), prednisone (47.8% vs. 31.4%), immunomodulators (52.0% vs. 32.1%), and narcotic analgesics (17.3% vs. 9.1%). Patient mortality was similar for infliximab- and other-treatments-only-treated patients (0.58 vs. 0.59/100 patient-years). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, treatment with prednisone (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.55, 2.95; P < 0.001) or narcotic analgesics (HR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.29, 2.48; P < 0.001) and age (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.09; P < 0.001) were associated with increased mortality risk. Neither infliximab nor immunomodulator treatment was associated with increased mortality risk. Factors independently associated with serious infections included moderate-to-severe disease activity (HR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.57, 3.19; P < 0.001), narcotic analgesic treatment (HR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.44, 2.73; P < 0.001), prednisone therapy (HR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.17, 2.10; P = 0.002), and infliximab treatment (HR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.11, 1.84; P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Mortality was similar between infliximab- and other-treatments-only-treated CD patients. An increased risk of serious infection with infliximab was observed, although CD severity and use of prednisone or narcotic analgesics carried higher risks.

The outbreak of COVID 19 made many poor communities in different places of the world face very challenging socio-economic and livelihood consequences. This paper targets to analyse this socio-economic impact to determine how the pandemic is causing various problems to the impoverished. An integrative literature review was carried out to sample the consequences of the global pandemic economic crisis on the poor communities in four different continents. The research points out how it is hard on the poor to adhere to the restrictive measures of social isolation or the lockdown. Immediate strategies that minimize the pandemic impact on the livelihood and the socio-economic activities of the poor are suggested. The research opens future research about more specialised programs for the poor during any future lockdowns.

BACKGROUND: Long-term mechanical ventilation is the most common situation for which tracheostomy is indicated for patients in intensive care units (ICUs). 'Early' and 'late' tracheostomies are two categories of the timing of tracheostomy. Evidence on the advantages attributed to early versus late tracheostomy is somewhat conflicting but includes shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of early (≤ 10 days after tracheal intubation) versus late tracheostomy (> 10 days after tracheal intubation) in critically ill adults predicted to be on prolonged mechanical ventilation with different clinical conditions. SEARCH METHODS: This is an update of a review last published in 2012 (Issue 3, The Cochrane Library) with previous searches run in December 2010. In this version, we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (2013, Issue 8); MEDLINE (via PubMed) (1966 to August 2013); EMBASE (via Ovid) (1974 to August 2013); LILACS (1986 to August 2013); PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) at www.pedro.fhs.usyd.edu.au (1999 to August 2013) and CINAHL (1982 to August 2013). We reran the search in October 2014 and will deal with any studies of interest when we update the review. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials (RCTs or QRCTs) comparing early tracheostomy (two to 10 days after intubation) against late tracheostomy (> 10 days after intubation) for critically ill adult patients expected to be on prolonged mechanical ventilation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors extracted data and conducted a quality assessment. Meta-analyses with random-effects models were conducted for mortality, time spent on mechanical ventilation and time spent in the ICU. MAIN RESULTS: We included eight RCTs (N = 1977 participants). At the longest follow-up time available in these studies, evidence of moderate quality from seven RCTs (n = 1903) showed lower mortality rates in the early as compared with the late tracheostomy group (risk ratio (RR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70 to 0.98; P value 0.03; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) ≅ 11). Divergent results were reported on the time spent on mechanical ventilation and no differences were noted for pneumonia, but the probability of discharge from the ICU was higher at day 28 in the early tracheostomy group (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.55; P value 0.006; NNTB ≅ 8). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The whole findings of this systematic review are no more than suggestive of the superiority of early over late tracheostomy because no information of high quality is available for specific subgroups with particular characteristics.

Agradecimentos: This work was supported by Conselho Nacionalde Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Grant: 307536/2018-1 and Universidade do Estado do Pará, Grant: 626/18

Chromoblastomycosis is one of the most frequent infections caused by melanized fungi. It is a subcutaneous fungal infection, usually an occupational related disease, mainly affecting individuals in tropical and temperate regions. Although several species are etiologic agents, Fonsecaea pedrosoi and Cladophialophora carrionii are prevalent in the endemic areas. Chromoblastomycosis lesions are polymorphic and must be differentiated from those associated with many clinical conditions. Diagnosis is confirmed by the observation of muriform cells in tissue and the isolation and the identification of the causal agent in culture. Chromoblastomycosis still is a therapeutic challenge for clinicians due to the recalcitrant nature of the disease, especially in the severe clinical forms. There are three treatment modalities, i.e., physical treatment, chemotherapy and combination therapy but their success is related to the causative agent, the clinical form and severity of the chromoblastomycosis lesions. There is no treatment of choice for this neglected mycosis, but rather several treatment options. Most of the patients can be treated with itraconazole, terbinafine or a combination of both. It is also important to evaluate the patient's individual tolerance of the drugs and whether the antifungal will be provided for free or purchased, since antifungal therapy must be maintained in long-term regimens. In general, treatment should be guided according to clinical, mycological and histopathological criteria.

Virus-host interactions determine an infection outcome. The Asian lineage of Zika virus (ZIKV), responsible for the recent epidemics, has fixed a mutation in the NS1 gene after 2012 that enhances mosquito infection. Here we report that the same mutation confers NS1 to inhibit interferon-β induction. This mutation enables NS1 binding to TBK1 and reduces TBK1 phosphorylation. Engineering the mutation into a pre-epidemic ZIKV strain debilitates the virus for interferon-β induction; reversing the mutation in an epidemic ZIKV strain invigorates the virus for interferon-β induction; these mutational effects are lost in IRF3-knockout cells. Additionally, ZIKV NS2A, NS2B, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5 can also suppress interferon-β production through targeting distinct components of the RIG-I pathway; however, for these proteins, no antagonistic difference is observed among various ZIKV strains. Our results support the mechanism that ZIKV has accumulated mutation(s) that increases the ability to evade immune response and potentiates infection and epidemics.

BACKGROUND: A number of conditions compromise the passage of food along the digestive tract. Nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding is a classic, time-proven technique, although its prolonged use can lead to complications such as lesions to the nasal wing, chronic sinusitis, gastro-oesophageal reflux, and aspiration pneumonia. Another method of infusion, percutaneous endoscopy gastrostomy (PEG), is generally used when there is a need for enteral nutrition for a longer time period. There is a high demand for PEG in patients with swallowing disorders, although there is no consistent evidence about its effectiveness and safety as compared to NGT. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of PEG compared with NGT for adults with swallowing disturbances. SEARCH METHODS: We searched The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS from inception to January 2014, and contacted the main authors in the subject area. There was no language restriction in the search. SELECTION CRITERIA: We planned to include randomised controlled trials comparing PEG versus NGT for adults with swallowing disturbances or dysphagia and indications for nutritional support, with any underlying diseases. The primary outcome was intervention failure (e.g. feeding interruption, blocking or leakage of the tube, no adherence to treatment). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration. For dichotomous and continuous variables, we used risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD), respectively with the random-effects statistical model and 95% confidence interval (CI). We assumed statistical heterogeneity when I² > 50%. MAIN RESULTS: We included 11 randomised controlled studies with 735 participants which produced 16 meta-analyses of outcome data. Meta-analysis indicated that the primary outcome of intervention failure, occurred in lower proportion of participants with PEG compared to NGT (RR 0.18, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.59, eight studies, 408 participants, low quality evidence) and this difference was statistically significant. For this outcome, we also subgrouped the studies by endoscopic gastrostomy technique into pull, and push and not reported. We observed a significant difference favouring PEG in the pull subgroup (RR 0.07, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.35, three studies, 90 participants). Thepush subgroup contained only one clinical trial and the result favoured PEG (RR 0.05, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.74, one study, 33 participants) techniques. We found no statistically significant difference in cases where the technique was not reported (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.13 to 1.44, four studies, 285 participants).There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for meta-analyses of the secondary outcomes of mortality (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.28, 644 participants, nine studies, very low quality evidence), overall reports of any adverse event at any follow-up time point (ITT analysis, RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.34), 597 participants, 6 studies, moderate quality evidence), specific adverse events including pneumonia (aspiration) (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.06, 645 participants, seven studies, low quality evidence), or for the meta- analyses of the secondary outcome of nutritional status including weight change from baseline, and mid-arm circumference at endpoint, although there was evidence in favour of PEG for meta-analyses of mid-arm circumference change from baseline (MD 1.16, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.31, 115 participants, two studies), and levels of serum albumin were higher in the PEG group (MD 6.03, 95% CI 2.31 to 9.74, 107 participants).For meta-analyses of the secondary outcomes of time on enteral nutrition, there was no statistically significant difference (MD 14.48, 95% CI -2.74 to 31.71; 119 participants, two studies). For meta-analyses of quality of life measures (EuroQol) outcomes in two studies with 133 participants, for inconvenience (RR 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.29), discomfort (RR 0.03, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.29), altered body image (RR 0.01, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.18; P = 0.001) and social activities (RR 0.01, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.18) the intervention favoured PEG, that is, fewer participants found the intervention of PEG to be inconvenient, uncomfortable or interfered with social activities. However, there were no significant differences between the groups for pain, ease of learning to use, or the secondary outcome of length of hospital stay (two studies, 381 participants). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: PEG was associated with a lower probability of intervention failure, suggesting the endoscopic procedure may be more effective and safe compared with NGT. There is no significant difference in mortality rates between comparison groups, or in adverse events, including pneumonia related to aspiration. Future studies should include details of participant demographics including underlying disease, age and gender, and the gastrostomy technique.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the arrangement of myocardial bridges. DESIGN: A necropsy study of 90 consecutive hearts (56 male, 34 female). RESULTS: Myocardial bridges, either single or multiple, were seen in 50 (55.6%) of the 90 hearts. The left anterior descending artery was the most commonly affected artery. Thirty five of the 50 hearts which contained in total 41 muscle bridges were dissected further with a magnifying glass. Two different types of muscle bridges could be identified. Thirty one of these 41 myocardial bridges were superficial, crossing the artery transversely towards the apex of the heart at an acute angle or perpendicularly. The remaining 10 myocardial bridges crossed the left anterior descending coronary artery and surrounded it by a muscle bundle that arose from the right ventricular apical trabeculae and crossed the artery transversely, obliquely, or helically before terminating in the interventricular septum. CONCLUSIONS: The superficial type of myocardial bridge does not seem to constrict the artery during systole but the deep muscle bridges, by virtue of their relation with the left anterior descending coronary artery, could twist the vessel and thus compromise its diastolic flow. This may result in ischaemia.

Estudo de coorte sobre a mortalidade neonatal na pesquisa Nascer no Brasil, com entrevista e avaliação de prontuários de 23.940 puérperas entre fevereiro de 2011 e outubro de 2012. Utilizou-se modelagem hierarquizada para análise dos potenciais fatores de risco para o óbito neonatal. A taxa de mortalidade foi 11,1 por mil; maior nas regiões Norte e Nordeste e nas classes sociais mais baixas. O baixo peso ao nascer, o risco gestacional e condições do recém-nascido foram os principais fatores associados ao óbito neonatal. A inadequação do pré-natal e da atenção ao parto indicaram qualidade não satisfatória da assistência. A peregrinação de gestantes para o parto e o nascimento de crianças com peso &lt; 1.500g em hospital sem UTI neonatal demonstraram lacunas na organização da rede de saúde. Óbitos de recém-nascidos a termo por asfixia intraparto e por prematuridade tardia expressam a evitabilidade dos óbitos. A qualificação da atenção, em especial da assistência hospitalar ao parto se configura como foco prioritário para maiores avanços nas políticas públicas de redução das taxas e das desigualdades na mortalidade infantil no Brasil.

Essential oils have shown promise as antiviral agents against several pathogenic viruses. In this work we hypothesized that essential oil components may interact with key protein targets of the 2019 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A molecular docking analysis was carried out using 171 essential oil components with SARS-CoV-2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2 Mpro), SARS-CoV-2 endoribonucleoase (SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15/NendoU), SARS-CoV-2 ADP-ribose-1″-phosphatase (SARS-CoV-2 ADRP), SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (SARS-CoV-2 RdRp), the binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SARS-CoV-2 rS), and human angiotensin−converting enzyme (hACE2). The compound with the best normalized docking score to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro was the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon (E)-β-farnesene. The best docking ligands for SARS−CoV Nsp15/NendoU were (E,E)-α-farnesene, (E)-β-farnesene, and (E,E)−farnesol. (E,E)−Farnesol showed the most exothermic docking to SARS-CoV-2 ADRP. Unfortunately, the docking energies of (E,E)−α-farnesene, (E)-β-farnesene, and (E,E)−farnesol with SARS-CoV-2 targets were relatively weak compared to docking energies with other proteins and are, therefore, unlikely to interact with the virus targets. However, essential oil components may act synergistically, essential oils may potentiate other antiviral agents, or they may provide some relief of COVID-19 symptoms.

This work demonstrates that the integration of variable-speed wind systems with doubly fed induction generators (DFIG) and a four-quadrant AC-to-AC converter connected to the rotor windings increases the transient stability margin of the electrical grids, when compared with the case where the fixed speed wind systems with cage generators are used. It is due to the influence of the two dedicated rotor current regulators of the DFIG on the dynamic behavior of the other generators in the system. Besides, adequate models to represent the behavior of the DFIG in transient stability studies are presented. From the simulation results, some important conclusions can be extracted to guide the integration of the wind farms on weak or strong grids.

Prion diseases are fatal, chronic neurodegenerative diseases of mammals, characterized by amyloid deposition, astrogliosis, microglial activation, tissue vacuolation and neuronal loss. In the ME7 model of prion disease in the C57BL/6 J mouse, we have shown previously that these animals display behavioural changes that indicate the onset of neuronal dysfunction. The current study examines the neuropathological correlates of these early behavioural changes. After injection of ME7-infected homogenate into the dorsal hippocampus, we found statistically significant impairment of burrowing, nesting and glucose consumption, and increased open field activity at 13 weeks. At this time, microglia activation and PrPSc deposition was visible selectively throughout the limbic system, including the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, medial and lateral septum, mamillary bodies, dorsal thalamus and, to a lesser degree, in regions of the brainstem. No increase in apoptosis or neuronal cell loss was detectable at this time, while in animals at 19 weeks postinjection there was 40% neuronal loss from CA1. There was a statistically significant reduction in synaptophysin staining in the stratum radiatum of the CA1 at 13 weeks indicating loss of presynaptic terminals. Damage to the dorsal hippocampus is known to disrupt burrowing and nesting behaviour. We have demonstrated a neuropathological correlate of an early behavioural deficit in prion disease and suggest that this should allow insights into the first steps of the neuropathogenesis of prion diseases.

Modeling of stress and anxiety in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) is increasingly utilized in neuroscience research and central nervous system (CNS) drug discovery. Representing the most commonly used zebrafish anxiety models, the novel tank test (NTT) focuses on zebrafish diving in response to potentially threatening stimuli, whereas the light-dark test (LDT) is based on fish scototaxis (innate preference for dark vs. bright areas). Here, we systematically evaluate the utility of these two tests, combining meta-analyses of published literature with comparative in vivo behavioral and whole-body endocrine (cortisol) testing. Overall, the NTT and LDT behaviors demonstrate a generally good cross-test correlation in vivo, whereas meta-analyses of published literature show that both tests have similar sensitivity to zebrafish anxiety-like states. Finally, NTT evokes higher levels of cortisol, likely representing a more stressful procedure than LDT. Collectively, our study reappraises NTT and LDT for studying anxiety-like states in zebrafish, and emphasizes their developing utility for neurobehavioral research. These findings can help optimize drug screening procedures by choosing more appropriate models for testing anxiolytic or anxiogenic drugs.

The duration and severity of COVID-19 are related to age, comorbidities, and cytokine synthesis. This study evaluated the impact of these factors on patients with clinical presentations of COVID-19 in a Brazilian cohort. A total of 317 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were included; cases were distributed according to clinical status as severe (n=91), moderate (n=56) and mild (n=170). Of these patients, 92 had acute COVID-19 at sample collection, 90 had already recovered from COVID-19 without sequelae, and 135 had sequelae (long COVID syndrome). In the acute COVID-19 group, patients with the severe form had higher IL-6 levels (p=0.0260). In the post-COVID-19 group, there was no significant difference in cytokine levels between groups with different clinical conditions. In the acute COVID-19 group, younger patients had higher levels of TNF-α, and patients without comorbidities had higher levels of TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-2 (p<0.05). In contrast, patients over age 60 with comorbidities had higher levels of IL-6. In the post-COVID-19 group, subjects with long COVID-19 had higher levels of IL-17 and IL-2 (p<0.05), and subjects without sequelae had higher levels of IL-10, IL-6 and IL- 4 (p<0.05). Our results suggest that advanced age, comorbidities and elevated serum IL-6 levels are associated with severe COVID-19 and are good markers to differentiate severe from mild cases. Furthermore, high serum levels of IL-17 and IL-2 and low levels of IL-4 and IL-10 appear to constitute a cytokine profile of long COVID-19, and these markers are potential targets for COVID-19 treatment and prevention strategies.

This paper introduces a literature review of 83 studies dealing with the degree of adoption of lean manufacturing practices around the world, and the links between those practices and organisation performance. The results of this study revealed that lean practices application still occurs in a fragmented way, disregarding the systemic linkage that is essential to lean manufacturing. Forty-one articles have suggested a positive effect of lean practices in at least one operational, financial and/or environmental performance metric. Nevertheless, five studies indicated that some lean practices had a negative effect on operational or financial performance. High demand variability, a perceived result of long-term lean manufacturing implementation, a country/company’s organisational culture and the difficulty of traditional costing production systems to measure and compare investments and economic gains from adopting lean manufacturing over time are some of the reasons to explain that negative effect of lean practice on performance.

BACKGROUND: The use of insulin-sensitising agents, such as metformin, in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who are undergoing ovulation induction or in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles has been widely studied. Metformin reduces hyperinsulinaemia and suppresses the excessive ovarian production of androgens. It is suggested that as a consequence metformin could improve assisted reproductive techniques (ART) outcomes, such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), pregnancy, and live birth rates. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness and safety of metformin as a co-treatment during IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in achieving pregnancy or live birth in women with PCOS. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL via the Cochrane Register of Studies Online (CRSO), MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, LILACS, the trial registries for ongoing trials, and reference lists of articles (from inception to 13 February 2020). SELECTION CRITERIA: Types of studies: randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing metformin treatment with placebo or no treatment in women with PCOS who underwent IVF or ICSI treatment. TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: women of reproductive age with anovulation due to PCOS with or without co-existing infertility factors. Types of interventions: metformin administered before and during IVF or ICSI treatment. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: live birth rate, incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected the studies, extracted the data according to the protocol, and assessed study quality. We assessed the overall quality of the evidence using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: = 0%; low-quality evidence). The overall quality of evidence ranged from very low to low. The main limitations were inconsistency, risk of bias, and imprecision. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This updated review on metformin versus placebo/no treatment before or during IVF/ICSI treatment in women with PCOS found no conclusive evidence that metformin improves live birth rates. In a long GnRH-agonist protocol, we are uncertain whether metformin improves live birth rates, but metformin may increase the clinical pregnancy rate. In a short GnRH-antagonist protocol, metformin may reduce live birth rates, although we are uncertain about the effect of metformin on clinical pregnancy rate. Metformin may reduce the incidence of OHSS but may result in a higher incidence of side effects. We are uncertain of the effect of metformin on miscarriage rate per woman.

Abstract Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of the carbon cycle in tropical forests. We measured the volume and density of fallen CWD at two sites, Cauaxi and Tapajós in the Eastern Amazon. At both sites we studied undisturbed forests (UFs) and logged forests 1 year after harvest. Conventional logging (CL) and reduced impact logging (RIL) were used for management on areas where the geometric volumes of logs harvested was about 25–30 m 3 ha −1 . Density for five classes of fallen CWD for large material (&gt;10 cm diameter) ranged from 0.71 to 0.28 Mg m −3 depending upon the degree of decomposition. Density of wood within large fallen logs varied with position relative to the ground and with distance from the center of the log. Densities for materials with diameters from 2 to 5 and 5 to 10 cm were 0.36 and 0.45 Mg m −3 , respectively. The average mass (±SE) of fallen CWD at Cauaxi was 55.2 (4.7), 74.7 (0.6), and 107.8 (10.5) Mg ha −1 for duplicate UF, RIL, and CL sites, respectively. At Tapajós, the average mass of fallen CWD was 50.7 (1.1) Mg ha −1 for UF and 76.2 (10.2) Mg ha −1 for RIL for duplicate sites compared with 282 Mg ha −1 for live aboveground biomass. Small‐ and medium‐sized material (&lt;10 cm dia.) accounted for 8–18% of the total fallen CWD mass. The large amount of fallen CWD at these UF sites relative to standing aboveground biomass suggests either that the forests have recently been subjected to a pulse of high mortality or that they normally suffer a high mortality rate in the range of 0.03 per year. Accounting for background CWD in UF, CL management produced 2.7 times as much CWD as RIL management. Excess CWD at logging sites would generate a substantial CO 2 emission given the high rates of decay in moist tropical forests.

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazônia Sustentável, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.

ABSTRACT This research empirically investigates the relation between common stock and call option trading volumes. The paper hyothesizes and tests a sequential flow of information between the stock and option markets. If information trading for CBOE‐listed firms is predominantly accomplished through option trading, then existing research methodologies may be biased against finding any significant economic consequences in those instances where option listing is an important variable. Results indicate that trading in call options leads trading in the underlying shares, with a one‐day lag.