Author Correction: Mapping the world's free-flowing rivers.

An Amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Mapping the world's free-flowing rivers.

Free-flowing rivers (FFRs) support diverse, complex and dynamic ecosystems globally, providing important societal and economic services. Infrastructure development threatens the ecosystem processes, biodiversity and services that these rivers support. Here we assess the connectivity status of 12 million kilometres of rivers globally and identify those that remain free-flowing in their entire length. Only 37 per cent of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometres remain free-flowing over their entire length and 23 per cent flow uninterrupted to the ocean. Very long FFRs are largely restricted to remote regions of the Arctic and of the Amazon and Congo basins. In densely populated areas only few very long rivers remain free-flowing, such as the Irrawaddy and Salween. Dams and reservoirs and their up- and downstream propagation of fragmentation and flow regulation are the leading contributors to the loss of river connectivity. By applying a new method to quantify riverine connectivity and map FFRs, we provide a foundation for concerted global and national strategies to maintain or restore them.

Importância do uso de plantas medicinais nos processos de xerose, fissuras e cicatrização na diabetes mellitus / The importance of the use of medicinal plants in the process of xerosis, fissures and healing

RESUMO Artigo de revisão que trata da importância do tratamento da xerose e de fissuras nos pés de pacientes com diabetes mellitus. Essas fissuras se não tratadas, constituem porta de entrada para infecções e podem resultar na formação de úlceras, que são a causa mais comum das amputações de extremidades de causa não traumática. Por isso a prevenção de fissuras nos pés de diabéticos é fundamental, já que a cicatrização é um processo complicado nesses pacientes, devido à hiperglicemia. Aborda sobre produtos usados no tratamento de xerose e fissuras e o crescente interesse de pesquisadores e do mercado no uso de fitoterápicos com esse objetivo.

ABSTRACT A review article that deals with the importance of treating xerosis and fissures in the feet of patients with diabetes mellitus. These wounds can be a gateway to infections and may result in the formation of ulcers, if untreated. The ulcers are the most common cause for the amputations of extremities at non-traumatic cases. For this reason, the prevention of fissures in the feet of diabetic patientsis basal, since healing is a complicated process in this patients because of their hyperglycemia symptom. This article addresses the products employed in the therapy of xerosis and fissures, and also investigates the increasing interest of researchers and market in the application of phytotherapic medicines for this purpose.

[Continuous nebulization with terbutaline sulfate under tent inhalation. Evaluation of the efficacy in children 2 to 5 years of age in asthmatic crises]. / Nébulisation continue avec sulfate de terbutaline sous tente d'inhalation. Evaluation de l'efficacité chez l'enfant de 2 á 5 ans en crise d'asthme.

This study investigated the efficacy of a system for continuous nebulization of terbutaline sulphate in the treatment of acute asthmatic crises in children. The equipment consisted of a condensation nebulizer attached to a 40 liter acrylic tent placed around the patient's head. A prospective, randomized and open clinical trial was conducted. Twenty eight children, 2 to 5 year-old, in acute asthmatic crises were selected. Fourteen were nebulized with terbutaline sulphate while in the control group the aerosolization was proceeded only with half diluted physiologic serum. All patients were administered aminophyline intravenously. The parameter used to evaluate the efficacy of the terbutaline sulphate nebulizing system was clinical improvement measured by the Wood-Downes Score. Two additional parameters indicating terbutaline sulphate absorption were used: reduction of potassium seric levels and positive chronotropic effect. The group treated with terbutaline sulphate showed greater clinical improvement than control group at the 12 hour protocol evaluation as well as lower seric potassium level. A positive chronotropic effect was also observed at the final protocol evaluation. The data showed, preliminarily, that (a) the system for continuous nebulization of terbutaline sulphate was effective in treatment of children's acute asthmatic crises, and (b) there was evidence attesting to the absorption of terbutaline sulphate by the children treatment with it.

Gross alpha- and beta-activities in surface and ground water of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Gross alpha- and beta-activities were determined on 37 fresh water samples collected from 14 artificial basins, 13 deep drilled wells, two dug wells, two lakes, two rivers, one spring, and a tap belonging to 30 locations scattered throughout the eastern and central parts of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte. The surveyed area was about 35,000 km2 with a lithology including both crystalline (18 towns) and sedimentary (12 towns) rocks. Concentrations ranging from < 2.8 to 354 Bq m-3 and from 50.5 to 580 Bq m-3 were observed for the gross alpha- and beta-activities, respectively. For the gross beta-activity, which was always higher than the corresponding alpha-activity, the arithmetic mean with its standard deviation was 226 +/- 154 Bq m-3. In order to evaluate the radioactive dose due to the ingestion of these waters, a conservative dosimetric calculation was carried out using the dose conversion factors suggested by the ICRP. An average annual effective dose equivalent of 60 +/- 42 microSv was obtained together with a range of 14-161 microSv y-1.

Nonspecific esterase staining of lymphocyte subsets in leprosy.

A comparative study of lymphocyte subpopulations from leprosy patients were carried out using nonspecific esterase (ANAE) staining and monoclonal antibodies. Regardless of the methodology used, an intense reduction in the total number of the T helper/inducer subset and an inversion of the helper/suppressor ration could be observed. These alterations were more evident with the progress of the disease from the tuberculoid (TL) to the lepromatous (LL) pole. Thus ANAE may be considered an economical and reliable method to be used in the study of the immune status of leprosy patients.

Avaliacao "in vivo" de anti-septicos cirurgicos. / In vivo evaluation of surgical antiseptics

Este estudo consiste de uma revisao da atividade germicida de anti-septicos cirurgicos de acordo com testes bacteriologicos realizados in vivo e nas referencias da literatura. Testamos os seguintes anti-septicos: alcool iodado a 1%, povidona-iodo a 1%, a 0,75% e a 0,5%, clorhexidina a 0,4% em solucao alcoolica, clorhexidina a 4% em solucao aquosa e cloreto de benzalconio a 0,2% em solucao aquosa. Os resultados mostraram praticamente a mesma atividade anti-septica dos tres primeiros preparados (alcool iodado a 1%, povidona-iodo a 1% e clorhexidina a 0,5% em solucao alcoolica) que sao muito superiores aos outros. A solucao detergente de clorhexidina a 4% e a de povidona-iodo a 0,75% mostraram a mesma atividade porem maior do que a solucao de povidona-iodo a 0,5% e a de cloreto de benzalconio. Estes resultados conferem com outros encontrados na literatura. Para a descontaminacao do campo cirurgico e das maos da equipe de cirurgia, adotam-se as seguintes recomendacoes: dois minutos de friccao com solucoes detergentes; friccao com um dos seguintes anti-septicos: alcool iodado a 1%, povidona-iodo a 1% ou solucao alcoolica de clorhexidina a 0,5%