On the current existence of a coccidial line of development in the malaria parasites: a theory

Most opinion favors the origin of the malaria parasites from a coccidial ancestor. It is assumed that whatever the process through which the coccidia differentiated into a Plasmodium this phenomenon very probably occured millions of year ago, and during that differentiation process the original coccidia vanished. Therefore it has never repeated. At the light of some experiments the existence, at the present time, of a coccidial cycle of development in the malaria parasites, is proposed. The conection routes and mechanisms through which the malaria parasite changes to a coccidial life, and the routes in reverse are exposed. Transmission of the malaria-coccidial forms is suggested.

Paleopharmacology and pollen: theory, method, and application

Parasitism was a universal human condition. Because of this, people developed herbal medicines to treat parasites as part of their pharmacopoeias. We propose that it is possible to recover evidence of medicinal plants from archaeological sites and link their use to specific health conditions. This is a multidisciplinary approach that must involve at least paleoethnobotanists, archaeoparasitologists, paleopathologists, and pharmacologists.

O professor real e o ideal na visão de um grupo de graduandos de enfermagem

O presente estudo constituiu-se em uma pesquisa não experimental, do tipo "survey". Busca contribuir para o crescimento do conhecimento sobre o ensino de enfermagem caracterizando o professor real e o idealizado por um grupo de graduandos de enfermagem, identificando a área mais valorizada pelo aluno de enfermagem no desempenho docente: afetiva ou relacionada ao domínio teórico-prático do conhecimento específico e aos aspectos didático-pedagógicos, bem como identificando diferenças de atitudes entre os graduandos em relação à essa valorização. Os dados foram obtidos pela aplicação de um questionário a 69 graduandos de duas escolas distintas. Concluiu-se que os aspectos afetivos da relação professor-aluno são mediadores para que, através do domínio tanto do conteúdo da disciplina, como dos aspectos didático-pedagógicos pelos docentes, o processo ensino-aprendizagem se concretize com sucesso.

Perioperative thirst: an analysis from the perspective of the Symptom Management Theory

A theoretical study aimed to analyze the existing knowledge in the literature on the perioperative thirst symptom from the perspective of Symptom Management Theory, and supplemented with the experience of the study group and thirst research. Thirst is described as a very intense symptom occurring in the perioperative period, and for this reason it cannot be ignored. The Symptom Management Theory is adequate for understanding the thirst symptom and is a deductive theory, focused on the domains of the Person, Environment and Health / Illness Status, as well as on the dimensions of Experience, Management Strategies and Symptom Outcomes. Using the theory leads us to consider perioperative thirst in its multifactorial aspects, analyzing the interrelation of its domains and dimensions in order to draw attention to this symptom that has been insufficiently valued, recorded and treated in clinical practice.

Determination or determinants? A debate based on the Theory on the Social Production of Health

This article aims to discuss the concepts of Social Determination of Health and Social Determinants of Health, by establishing a comparison between each of their guiding perspectives and investigating their implications on the development of health policies and health actions. We propose a historical and conceptual reflection, highlighting the Theory on the Social Production of Health, followed by a debate on the concepts, with a comparative approach among them.

Intimate partner violence against pregnant women: the environment according to Levine's nursing theory

Abstract OBJECTIVE Analyzing the elements that compose the environment of pregnant women who have experienced intimate partner violence in the light of Levine's Nursing Theory. METHOD A qualitative, descriptive study conducted from September to January 2012, with nine pregnant women in a Municipal Health Center in Rio de Janeiro. The interviews were semi-structured and individual. The theoretical framework was based on Levine's Nursing Theory. RESULTS Thematic analysis evidenced the elements that composed the external environment, such as violence perpetrated by intimate partners before and during pregnancy, violence in childhood and adolescence, alcohol consumption and drug use by the partner, unemployment, low education and economic dependency, which affected health and posed risks to the pregnancy. CONCLUSION Violence perpetrated by an intimate partner was the main external factor that influenced the internal environment with repercussions on health. This theory represents a tool in nursing care which will aid in detecting cases and the fight against violence.

Development of premature children: caregivers' understanding according to the Bioecological Theory

Abstract OBJECTIVE Understanding the conceptions of premature children caregivers on child development and associated factors. METHOD An exploratory-descriptive qualitative study of 12 families with children under three years of age. Interviews were submitted to thematic content analysis, systematized into the categories of Bioecological Theory of Human Development: Process, Person, Context and Time, and in the Functional Development category. RESULTS There are concerns about impairment in the current and future development of a Person/child defined as fragile as a result of premature birth (Time dimension), minimized by the scope of observable competencies such as motor skills. The Context, especially family and health services, and Proximal Processes, described as one-way caregiver interactions, are considered determinants of development. Functional Development is considered a natural consequence and result of education. The support network is crucial, supporting or limiting care. CONCLUSION Concerns about the development mobilize caregivers to stimulate the premature child/person and requests family and healthcare assistance.

Modeling water movement in horizontal columns using fractal theory

Fractal mathematics has been used to characterize water and solute transport in porous media and also to characterize and simulate porous media properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the soil infiltration parameters sorptivity (S) and time exponent (n) and the parameters dimension (D) and the Hurst exponent (H). For this purpose, ten horizontal columns with pure (either clay or loam) and heterogeneous porous media (clay and loam distributed in layers in the column) were simulated following the distribution of a deterministic Cantor Bar with fractal dimension H" 0.63. Horizontal water infiltration experiments were then simulated using Hydrus 2D software. The sorptivity (S) and time exponent (n) parameters of the Philip equation were estimated for each simulation, using the nonlinear regression procedure of the statistical software package SAS®. Sorptivity increased in the columns with the loam content, which was attributed to the relation of S with the capillary radius. The time exponent estimated by nonlinear regression was found to be less than the traditional value of 0.5. The fractal dimension estimated from the Hurst exponent was 17.5 % lower than the fractal dimension of the Cantor Bar used to generate the columns.

Quantitative Assessment of Soil Physical Quality in Northern China Based on S-theory

ABSTRACT Quantitative assessment of soil physical quality is of great importance for eco-environmental pollution and soil quality studies. In this paper, based on the S-theory, data from 16 collection sites in the Haihe River Basin in northern China were used, and the effects of soil particle size distribution and bulk density on three important indices of theS-theory were investigated on a regional scale. The relationships between unsaturated hydraulic conductivityKi at the inflection point and S values (S/hi) were also studied using two different types of fitting equations. The results showed that the polynomial equation was better than the linear equation for describing the relationships between -log Ki and -logS, and -log Kiand -log (S/hi)2; and clay content was the most important factor affecting the soil physical quality index (S). The variation in the S index according to soil clay content was able to be fitted using a double-linear-line approach, with decrease in the S index being much faster for clay content less than 20 %. In contrast, the bulk density index was found to be less important than clay content. The average S index was 0.077, indicating that soil physical quality in the Haihe River Basin was good.

Tamanho de população ideal para mapeamento genético em famílias de irmãos completos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o tamanho ótimo de populações de irmãos completos, para estudos de mapas de marcadores moleculares, por meio de simulações de genomas e tamanhos de populações. Foram simulados genomas parentais e amostras de populações de família de irmãos completos do tipo completamente informativas, e também não completamente informativas. As amostras geradas foram de 100, 200, 400 e 600 indivíduos, com três grupos de ligação cada, e 11 marcas moleculares codominantes e multialélicas, espaçadas a dez centimorgans por grupo de ligação. Foram realizadas 100 repetições por amostra. Para populações completamente informativas, o tamanho populacional de 200 indivíduos é suficiente para recuperar as informações originais, contudo, para a população não completamente informativa, é necessária a utilização de uma população maior, de 600 indivíduos.

Ideal culture conditions for Dicyma pulvinata conidia mass production

The objective of this work was to set up ideal conditions for conidia mass production of Dicyma pulvinata. Four isolates were compared in terms of their growth and conidia production on various substrates (grains of parboiled rice, common rice, maize and wheat, besides chipped maize and rice husk), temperatures (19, 22, 25, 28 and 31ºC), growth containers (aluminum trays, polypropylene bags and Erlenmeyers) and light regimes (continuous darkness, 6 and 12 hours of light/darkness, and continuous light). Temperature effects on conidia germination capacity were also evaluated. The experiments were done in randomized complete block designs, in factorial arrangements (isolates x treatments - substrates, containers, temperatures and light regimes), with four replicates. In general, parboiled rice and polypropylene bags provided the best development of the fungus. Complete darkness and 6 hours of light increased mycelial growth, whereas continuous light favored sporulation. All tested temperatures favored the cultures of the fungus, except 31ºC. Temperatures between 19 and 25ºC ensure spore germination of more than 76%.

Ponto de colheita ideal de mangas 'Tommy Atkins' destinadas ao mercado europeu

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido em um pomar comercial do Pólo Agrícola Mossoró-Assu, localizado no município de Assu-RN. Teve como objetivo caracterizar e determinar o melhor estádio de maturação para a colheita de mangas 'Tommy Atkins' destinadas ao mercado Europeu. Os frutos foram marcados e avaliados aos 82 (E1), 89 (E2), 96 (E3) e 103 (E4) dias após a floração plena (DFP) e no estádio de colheita comercial (EC)., As avaliações foram feitas por ocasião da colheita e após 21 dias de armazenamento refrigerado (13 ± 1° C e 99 % UR). As variáveis analisadas foram cor da casca e da polpa do fruto, perda de massa, firmeza, sólidos solúveis totais (SST), acidez total titulável (ATT), relação SST/ATT, açúcares solúveis totais (AST), amido e atividade respiratória. Observou-se que, os picos climatéricos ocorreram aos 10 dias após a colheita nos frutos colhidos no estádio E2 e aos 7 dias nos colhidos nos estádios E3 e EC. Os frutos colhidos nos estádios E2, E3, E4 e EC amadureceram normalmente após 21 dias de armazenamento refrigerado. Sendo que os colhidos nos estádios E3 e EC se apresentaram muito semelhantes e alcançaram melhor qualidade, indicando que a colheita pode ser realizada nesses estádios, e que o período de 96 DFP pode ser considerado como mais um indicador do ponto de colheita.

The ideal table grapes for the Spanish market

This paper seeks to explore a survey of consumers in Spain. The survey explores the attributes of quality that consumers are seeking and promotion of grapes via "quality" marks, which are indicators of possible ways to increase demand. The reason consumers are switching to other foods, such as dairy based snacks, is that grapes are not easy to eat, can be unreliable in terms of their quality attributes, and their price more variable. Consumers are also generally unaware of the marks quality currently used.