Translation and cultural adaptation of the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire for burn victims in Brazil

This methodological study aimed to describe the process of translation and cultural adaptation of the Perceived stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ) and analyze the internal consistency of the items in the step of pre-testing. The PSQ was developed to evaluate the perception of stigmatizing behaviors of burn victims. The adaptation process was carried out from August 2012 to February 2013, comprising the steps outlined in the literature. As part of this process, the pre-test with 30 adult burn victims was held. All participants at this step reported to understand the instrument items and the scale of responses. There were no suggestions or changes in the tested version. The value of Cronbach’s alpha at pre-test was 0.87. The contribution of this study is to describe the operation of each of the steps of this methodological process and show the internal consistency of the items in the pre-test.

Organization of healthcare and assistance to the elderly indigenous population: synergies and particularities of the professional context

This study aimed to describe the effects of the organization of primary healthcare on the assistance provided to the elderly Kaingang population, according to the perception of health professionals that work in this area. It is a qualitative and descriptive study, supported by ethnography methodological references, and was conducted with ten healthcare professionals that work in Faxinal, an indigenous territory in the state of Paraná, in Brazil. Data was collected from November 2010 to February 2012 through participant observation and interviews. The results revealed that health professionals strive to meet the health needs of the elderly Kaingang people; however, there are negative effects that hinder the professional care, especially limited human resources, lack of training and material resources, heavy workload and high turnover rates. This study highlights the need to improve work conditions in order to provide better healthcare.

Assessing the vulnerability of women to sexually transmitted diseases STDS/ HIV: construction and validation of markers

Objective To construct and validate markers of vulnerability of women to STDs/HIV, taking into consideration the importance of STDs/HIV. Method Methodological study carried out in three stages: 1) systematic review and identification of elements of vulnerability in the scientific production; 2) selection of elements of vulnerability, and development of markers; 3) establishment of the expert group and validation of the markers (content validity). Results Five markers were validated: no openness in the relationship to discuss aspects related to prevention of STDs/HIV; no perception of vulnerability to STDs/HIV; disregard of vulnerability to STDs/ HIV; not recognizing herself as the subject of sexual and reproductive rights; actions of health professionals that limit women’s access to prevention of STDs/HIV. Each marker contains three to eleven components. Conclusion The construction of such markers constituted an instrument, presented in another publication, which can contribute to support the identification of vulnerabilities of women in relation to STDs/HIV in the context of primary health care services. The markers constitute an important tool for the operationalization of the concept of vulnerability in primary health care and to promote inter/multidisciplinary and inter/multi-sectoral work processes.


PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN A NURSING HOME

The objective of this study was to evaluate the perception of the elderly residents of a long-stay nursing home on the process of institutionalization. We interviewed 14 subjects, five women and nine men, aged between 60 and 92 years. Data collection was conducted with a semi-structured sociodemographic interview, which presented the guiding question: “Tell me about how is your life, what do you do and how did you come to live here”. From the analysis, we found topics related to feelings of abandonment, loneliness, anger, ingratitude, living with chronic pain, satisfaction of property in the nursing home, productivity and social relationship. Given the thematic analysis, it was possible to group them into three categories such as: what the elderly feel, what the elderly perceive and what the elderly desire. As a result, we need public policies that addresses to the service provided by institutions regarding elderly expectations.

Perceptions of representatives of a committee against dengue in the health education actions, Goiás, Brazil.

This study aimed to analyze how the educational actions of prevention and control of dengue are performed in Goiás, from the perspective of representatives of the State Mobilization Committee against Dengue. It is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, carried out in Goiânia with 43 representatives of public-private institutions, members of the State Mobilization Committee against Dengue of Goiás, in 2013. The data collection was done through questioning about the perception of health education for dengue prevention. Data were analyzed using content analysis and the WebQDA software. Three dimensions emerged from the analysis: educational aspects, management aspects, and community involvement. Respondents recognized the importance of health education for the prevention of dengue, and of the planning to strengthen the activities of the Committee.

The art and learning patterns of knowing in nursing

Objective To identify the perception of the students about the use of art as a pedagogical strategy in learning the patterns of knowing in nursing; to identify the dimensions of each pattern valued in the analysis of pieces of art. Method Descriptive mixed study. Data collection used a questionnaire applied to 31 nursing students. Results In the analysis of the students’ discourse, it was explicit that empirical knowledge includes scientific knowledge, tradition and nature of care. The aesthetic knowledge implies expressiveness, subjectivity and sensitivity. Self-knowledge, experience, reflective attitude and relationships with others are the subcategories of personal knowledge and the moral and ethics support ethical knowledge. Conclusion It is possible to learn patterns of knowledge through art, especially the aesthetic, ethical and personal. It is necessary to investigate further pedagogical strategies that contribute to the learning patterns of nursing knowledge.

Nursing Supervision: Studying the “Case” of the phenomenon of interorganizational articulation Nursing School and Hospital

The history of this research found a suitable ethos not only by the route of the researcher, but also by the current public policies of modernization and reform that are capable of regulating and transforming the educational and health systems, as well as their professional groups. The reflection meantime developed had raised a clear perception of the organizational change processes by which they interfered with the interorganizational coordination between School of Nursing and Hospital, where internship supervision would be the main protagonist, supported by the meanings that intervening actors have assigned to them. In this context, the search for explicit epistemological and methodological choices leads to look more attentively at the problem, ascertaining it, taking into account the organizational dimensions. In this regard, the choice of a case study was related to the fact that the method allowed to answer the purpose of knowing and understanding the interorganizational coordination phenomenon between School of Nursing and Hospital, namely through the supervision of internships.

Analysis of the physical aspects of quality of life of kidney recipients

OBJECTIVE To identify the main factors of the physical domain modified after kidney transplantation and analyze the influence of those aspects in the perception of Overall quality of life (QOL). METHOD Longitudinal study, conducted with 63 chronic kidney patients, evaluated before and after kidney transplant, using the quality of life scale proposed by the World Health Organization. RESULTS We observed significant improvement in the physical aspects of QOL after kidney transplantation. Significant correlations were observed between physical aspects and the Overall QOL. CONCLUSION The kidney transplant generated improvement in all physical aspects of QOL. The factors that showed stronger correlation with the Overall QOL before the transplant were the capacity to work and pain. After the transplant, the perception of need for treatment was the factor that showed stronger correlation with the Overall QOL.

Patient safety and the prevention of skin and mucosal lesions associated with airway invasive devices

AbstractOBJECTIVETo analyze the care implemented by the nursing team to promote the safety of adult patients and prevention of skin and mucosal lesions associated with the presence of lower airways invasive devices.METHODStudy with qualitative and quantitative approach, descriptive and exploratory type, whose investigative scenarios were adult inpatient units of a hospital in the West Frontier of Rio Grande do Sul. The study subjects consisted of nurses, nursing technicians and nursing assistants.RESULTSA total of 118 professionals were interviewed. We highlight the observed specific care with endotracheal tube and tracheostomy, management and assessment of the cuff and the criteria used to secretion aspiration.CONCLUSIONThere is a superficial nursing work in the patient direct care and a differentiation in relation to the perception of nurse technicians, especially those working in the intensive care unit, who presented major property and view of the patient's clinical status.

Thermal hygrometric requirements for the rearing and release of Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae)

Thermal hygrometric requirements for the rearing and release of Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae). Tamarixia radiata is the main agent for the biological control of Diaphorina citri in Brazil with a parasitism rate ranging from 20 to 80%. This study investigated the influence of temperature on the development, fecundity and longevity of adults of T. radiata and the effect of relative humidity (RH) on their parasitism capacity and survival rate in the pre-imaginal period. The effect of temperature was assessed in the range between 15 and 35 ± 1ºC, 70 ± 10% RH, and a 14-h photophase. The RH effect was evaluated in the range from 30 to 90 ± 10%, temperature at 25 ± 1ºC, and photophase of 14-h. At 25ºC, circa 166.7 nymphs were parasitized, the highest parasitism capacity observed compared to other treatments. The longest longevity of females was observed at 25ºC, although the rate did not differ in the 20-30ºC temperature range. The threshold temperature (TT) was 7.2ºC, and 188.7 degrees-day were required for the development (egg-to-adult period). The parasitism rate and longevity were higher at 50 and 70% of RH. This shows that temperature and RH may affect the parasitism capacity of T. radiata on nymphs of D. citri, which can explain the great parasitism variation for D. citri observed in citrus groves in São Paulo State, Brazil.

Optimization of the sampling scheme for maps of physical and chemical properties estimated by kriging

The sampling scheme is essential in the investigation of the spatial variability of soil properties in Soil Science studies. The high costs of sampling schemes optimized with additional sampling points for each physical and chemical soil property, prevent their use in precision agriculture. The purpose of this study was to obtain an optimal sampling scheme for physical and chemical property sets and investigate its effect on the quality of soil sampling. Soil was sampled on a 42-ha area, with 206 geo-referenced points arranged in a regular grid spaced 50 m from each other, in a depth range of 0.00-0.20 m. In order to obtain an optimal sampling scheme for every physical and chemical property, a sample grid, a medium-scale variogram and the extended Spatial Simulated Annealing (SSA) method were used to minimize kriging variance. The optimization procedure was validated by constructing maps of relative improvement comparing the sample configuration before and after the process. A greater concentration of recommended points in specific areas (NW-SE direction) was observed, which also reflects a greater estimate variance at these locations. The addition of optimal samples, for specific regions, increased the accuracy up to 2 % for chemical and 1 % for physical properties. The use of a sample grid and medium-scale variogram, as previous information for the conception of additional sampling schemes, was very promising to determine the locations of these additional points for all physical and chemical soil properties, enhancing the accuracy of kriging estimates of the physical-chemical properties.

SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND GROWTH OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.) AS AFFECTED BY THE APPLICATION OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS AND INOCULATION WITH ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI

The use of organic fertilizers and the inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi in the cultivation of oil crops is essential to reduce production costs and minimize negative impacts on natural resources. A field experiment was conducted in an Argissolo Amarelo (Ultisol) with the aim of evaluating the effects of fertilizer application and inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth attributes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and on soil chemical properties. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, using a randomized block design with three replicates in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of four treatments in regard to application of organic fertilizer (liquid biofertilizer, cow urine, mineral fertilizer, and unfertilized control) and two treatments in regard to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (with and without mycorrhizal fungi). The results showed that the physiological attributes of relative growth rate and leaf weight ratio were positively influenced by fertilization, compared to the control treatment, likely brought about by the supply of nutrients from the fertilizers applied. The growth and productivity attributes were positively affected by mycorrhization.

Effects of isoflavones on beany flavor and astringency of soymilk and cooked whole soybean grains

Flavor is the main limiting factor affecting soybean acceptability in the Occidental countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the effetcs of isoflavones on soybean flavor. Differences in beany flavor and astringency of soymilk and cooked whole soybean grains, prepared with cultivars IAS 5 and BR-36 (136 and 54 mg of total isoflavones /100 g of sample, respectively) with pre-soaking and pre-heating of grains, were sensorially analised, by an unstructured category scale of ascending intensity. Differences in isoflavone contents for both soybean cultivars were maintained in the two products, despite the pre-treatments in the processing. Pre-soaking of grains intensified beany flavor in the soymilk, reducing the perception of astringency, which is caused by the aglucones that were developed in reduced amounts.The whole soybeans grains cooked under pressure (1.5 kgf/cm² at 127°C) presented reduced levels of isoflavones malonyl-glucosides. Due to thermal instability, these compounds were converted to conjugated glucosides, genistin and daidzin. In the cooked whole soybean grains, no aglucones were formed and consequently it was not possible to detect differences in astringency. Results suggest that pre-heating of grains promote better flavor in soybean products.

Determination of the HMX and RDX content in synthesized energetic material by HPLC, FT-MIR, and FT-NIR spectroscopies

A new method has been developed for determining the content of mixtures of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), the HMX/RDX ratio, in explosive compositions by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), in the regions MIR (mid infrared) and NIR (near infrared) with reference values obtained by chromatographic analysis (HPLC). Plots of relative MIR (A917 / A783) or NIR absorbance values (A4412 / A4317) versus HMX/RDX ratio determined by HPLC analysis revealed good linear relationships.

Development and validation of a GC-FID assay for determination of fluvastatin in pharmaceutical preparations

A gas chromatographic method has been developed for the assay of fluvastatin sodium (FLU). FLU was silylated with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide-1% trimethylchlorosilane at 90 ºC for 30 min and analysed in a DB-1 column by capillary gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector. The method was validated. The assay was linear over the concentration range at 10.0 to 50.0 µg mL-1. The limit of detection and the limit of quantitation were 1.0 and 3.0 µg mL-1, respectively. The recoveries of FLU derivatives were in the range of 99.25-99.80%. In inter-day and intra-day analysis, the values of relative standard deviation (%) and the relative mean error (%) were found between 0.20-0.80% and -0.20-0.75%, respectively. The developed method was succesfully applied to analyze the FLU content in tablet formulation. The results were statistically compared with those obtained by the official method, and no significant difference was found between the two methods. Therefore, it can be recommended for the quality control assay of FLU in pharmaceutical industry.