Family Health Strategy professionals' view on the effects of Hansen's disease training

OBJECTIVEEvaluating how professionals of family health teams from three municipalities of Pernambuco perceive and interpret the effects of Hansen's disease training.METHODSA qualitative study using the perspective of Habermas. Six focus groups, totaling 33 nurses and 22 doctors were formed. The guide consisted of: reactions to training, learning, transfer of knowledge and organizational results.RESULTSThere were recurrent positive opinions on instructor performance, course materials, and an alert attitude to the occurrence of cases; the negative points were about lack of practical teaching, a lot of information in a short period of time and little emphasis on basic content. Low perceived self-efficacy and low locus of control, ambiguity, conflict of skills and the lack of support for the learning application. Nurses showed greater dissatisfaction with the organizational support.CONCLUSIONThe low effectiveness of training reveals the need to negotiate structured training from work problematization, considering performance conditions.

Knowledge of the Portuguese population on Basic Life Support and availability to attend training

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the level of knowledge and the availability of the Portuguese population to attend training in Basic Life Support (BLS) and identify factors related to their level of knowledge about BLS.METHODObservational study including 1,700 people who responded to a questionnaire containing data on demography, profession, training, interest in training and knowledge about BLS.RESULTSAmong 754 men and 943 women, only 17.8% (303) attended a course on BLS, but 95.6% expressed willingness to carry out the training. On average, they did not show good levels of knowledge on basic life support (correct answers in 25.9 ± 11.5 of the 64 indicators). Male, older respondents who had the training and those who performed BLS gave more correct answers, on average (p<0.01).CONCLUSIONThe skill levels of the Portuguese population are low, but people are available for training, hence it is important to develop training courses and practice to improve their knowledge.

Assessment of the teaching-learning process in students of the health area: cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the skills and knowledge of undergraduate students in the health area on cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers with the use of an automatic external defibrillator.METHODThe evaluation was performed in three different stages of the teaching-learning process. A theoretical and practical course was taught and the theoretical classes included demonstration. The evaluation was performed in three different stages of the teaching-learning process. Two instruments were applied to evaluate the skills (30-items checklist) and knowledge (40-questions written test). The sample comprised 84 students.RESULTSAfter the theoretical and practical course, an increase was observed in the number of correct answers in the 30-items checklist and 40-questions written test.CONCLUSIONAfter the theoretical class (including demonstration), only one of the 30-items checklist for skills achieved an index ≥ 90% of correct answers. On the other hand, an index of correct answers greater than 90% was achieved in 26 (86.7%) of the 30 items after a practical training simulation, evidencing the importance of this training in the defibrillation procedure.

Advantages of a cohort study on cardiac arrest conducted by nurses

AbstractOBJECTIVEIdentifying factors associated to survival after cardiac arrest.METHODAn experience report of a cohort study conducted in a university hospital, with a consecutive sample comprised of 285 patients. Data were collected for a year by trained nurses. The training strategy was conducted through an expository dialogue lecture. Collection monitoring was carried out by nurses via telephone calls, visits to the emergency room and by medical record searches. The neurological status of survivors was evaluated at discharge, after six months and one year.RESULTSOf the 285 patients, 16 survived until hospital discharge, and 13 remained alive after one year, making possible to identify factors associated with survival. There were no losses in the process.CONCLUSIONCohort studies help identify risks and disease outcomes. Considering cardiac arrest, they can subsidize public policies, encourage future studies and training programs for CPR, thereby improving the prognosis of patients.

Evaluation of sample preparation methods and optimization of nickel determination in vegetable tissues

Nickel, although essential to plants, may be toxic to plants and animals. It is mainly assimilated by food ingestion. However, information about the average levels of elements (including Ni) in edible vegetables from different regions is still scarce in Brazil. The objectives of this study were to: (a) evaluate and optimize a method for preparation of vegetable tissue samples for Ni determination; (b) optimize the analytical procedures for determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) and by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption (ETAAS) in vegetable samples and (c) determine the Ni concentration in vegetables consumed in the cities of Lorena and Taubaté in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. By means of the analytical technique for determination by ETAAS or FAAS, the results were validated by the test of analyte addition and recovery. The most viable method tested for quantification of this element was HClO4-HNO3 wet digestion. All samples but carrot tissue collected in Lorena contained Ni levels above the permitted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The most disturbing results, requiring more detailed studies, were the Ni concentrations measured in carrot samples from Taubaté, where levels were five times higher than permitted by Brazilian regulations.

USE OF SCALED SEMIVARIOGRAMS IN THE PLANNING SAMPLE OF SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES IN SOUTHERN AMAZONAS, BRAZIL

There is a great lack of information from soil surveys in the southern part of the State of Amazonas, Brazil. The use of tools such as geostatistics may improve environmental planning, use and management. In this study, we aimed to use scaled semivariograms in sample design of soil physical properties of some environments in Amazonas. We selected five areas located in the south of the state of Amazonas, Brazil, with varied soil uses, such as forest, archaeological dark earth (ADE), pasture, sugarcane cropping, and agroforestry. Regular mesh grids were set up in these areas with 64 sample points spaced at 10 m from each other. At these points, we determined the particle size composition, soil resistance to penetration, moisture, soil bulk density and particle density, macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity, and aggregate stability in water at a depth of 0.00-0.20 m. Descriptive and geostatistical analyses were performed. The sample density requirements were lower in the pasture area but higher in the forest. We concluded that managed-environments had differences in their soil physical properties compared to the natural forest; notably, the soil in the ADE environment is physically improved in relation to the others. The physical properties evaluated showed a structure of spatial dependence with a slight variability of the forest compared to the others. The use of the range parameter of the semivariogram analysis proved to be effective in determining an ideal sample density.

USE OF SCALED SEMIVARIOGRAMS IN THE PLANNING SAMPLE OF SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES IN SOUTHERN AMAZONAS, BRAZIL

The lack of information concerning the variability of soil properties has been a major concern of researchers in the Amazon region. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial variability of soil chemical properties and determine minimal sampling density to characterize the variability of these properties in five environments located in the south of the State of Amazonas, Brazil. The five environments were archaeological dark earth (ADE), forest, pasture land, agroforestry operation, and sugarcane crop. Regular 70 × 70 m mesh grids were set up in these areas, with 64 sample points spaced at 10 m distance. Soil samples were collected at the 0.0-0.1 m depth. The chemical properties of pH in water, OM, P, K, Ca, Mg, H+Al, SB, CEC, and V were determined at these points. Data were analyzed by descriptive and geostatistical analyses. A large part of the data analyzed showed spatial dependence. Chemical properties were best fitted to the spherical model in almost all the environments evaluated, except for the sugarcane field with a better fit to the exponential model. ADE and sugarcane areas had greater heterogeneity of soil chemical properties, showing a greater range and higher sampling density; however, forest and agroforestry areas had less variability of chemical properties.

Can Soil Penetration Resistance and Bulk Density Be Determined in a Single Undisturbed Sample?

Soil quality indicators such as penetration resistance (PR) and bulk density (BD) are traditionally determined in a single undisturbed soil sample. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of PR measurements of undisturbed samples on the determination of BD in the same sample of two soils differing in clay contents. To this end, samples were collected from the 0.00-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m layers of two soils of clayey and very clayey texture. Volumetric rings were used to collect a total of 120 undisturbed soil samples from each soil layer that were divided into two subsets containing 60 units each. One sample set, designated “perforated samples”, was used to determine PR and BD in the same undisturbed sample; the other, named “intact samples”, was used to determine BD only. Bulk density values for perforated and intact samples were compared by analysis of variance, using a completely randomized experimental design. Means were compared by the t-test at 5 %. The BD values for the clayey soil were similar in perforated and intact samples from the two layers. However, BD of the very clayey soil was lower in the perforated than in the intact samples at both depths. Therefore, PR and BD in clayey soils can be accurately determined in the same undisturbed sample whereas in very clayey soils, different samples are required for this purpose.

Sample size for measurement of root traits on common bean by image analysis

Evaluation of root traits may be facilitated if they are assessed on samples of the root system. The objective of this work was to determine the sample size of the root system in order to estimate root traits of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars by digital image analysis. One plant was grown per pot and harvested at pod setting, with 64 and 16 pots corresponding to two and four cultivars in the first and second experiments, respectively. Root samples were scanned up to the completeness of the root system and the root area and length were estimated. Scanning a root sample demanded 21 minutes, and scanning the entire root system demanded 4 hours and 53 minutes. In the first experiment, root area and length estimated with two samples showed, respectively, a correlation of 0.977 and 0.860, with these traits measured in the entire root. In the second experiment, the correlation was 0.889 and 0.915. The increase in the correlation with more than two samples was negligible. The two samples corresponded to 13.4% and 16.9% of total root mass (excluding taproot and nodules) in the first and second experiments. Taproot stands for a high proportion of root mass and must be deducted on root trait estimations. Samples with nearly 15% of total root mass produce reliable root trait estimates.

Sample size for full-sib family evaluation in sugarcane

The objective of this study was to determine the minimum number of plants per plot that must be sampled in experiments with sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) full-sib families in order to provide an effective estimation of genetic and phenotypic parameters of yield-related traits. The data were collected in a randomized complete block design with 18 sugarcane full-sib families and 6 replicates, with 20 plants per plot. The sample size was determined using resampling techniques with replacement, followed by an estimation of genetic and phenotypic parameters. Sample-size estimates varied according to the evaluated parameter and trait. The resampling method permits an efficient comparison of the sample-size effects on the estimation of genetic and phenotypic parameters. A sample of 16 plants per plot, or 96 individuals per family, was sufficient to obtain good estimates for all traits considered of all the characters evaluated. However, for Brix, if sample separation by trait were possible, ten plants per plot would give an efficient estimate for most of the characters evaluated.