Etnografia: esteatégia metodológica utilizada para contextualizar o cenário cultural do CTI de um hospital universitário

O presente trabalho é parte de um estudo etnográfico realizado em um CTI de um hospital universitário que teve o objetivo de descrever a cultura dos intensivistas. São apresentados domínios e taxonomias culturais elaborados a partir dos relatos dos intensivistas. Os resultados aqui apresentados demostraram que a etnografia é uma estratégia metodológica adequada para contextualização do cenário cultural sob o ponto de vista de quem vivencia o cotidiano do trabalho na terapia intensiva.

O processo de cuidar da pessoa que sofreu queimaduras: significado cultural atribuído por familiares

Os objetivos deste estudo etnográfico foram identificar o significado cultural atribuído por familiares à participação no processo de cuidar da pessoa ultima de queimadura; identificar as estratégias de cuidado que os familiares focalizam frente à participação no cuidado. Os dados foram coletados mediante entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 25 familiares de clientes que sofreram queimaduras, admitidos em uma Unidade de Queimados e observações participantes. Os resultados mostram que o significado cultural atribuído por familiares de pessoas vítimas queimaduras ao processo de cuidar tem duas dimensões: a física e a moral e gera principalmente medo.

A sexualidade como uma construção cultural: reflexões sobre preconceitos e mitos inerentes a um grupo de mulheres rurais

Este artigo apresenta a sexualidade como uma construção cultural. Para fundamentar tal assertiva, é relatada uma pesquisa realizada com um grupo de onze mulheres de uma comunidade rural, no interior do Rio Grande do Sul. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e as narrativas foram analisadas qualitativamente, buscando, via ótica cultural, o significado dos depoimentos. A sexualidade é, aqui, contemplada a partir das vivências individuais, dos valores, das crenças, dos mitos e dos preconceitos, construídos ao longo da socialização de cada colaboradora. No final do texto, foram acrescentadas algumas reflexões que salientam a importância de tal interpretação cultural sobre os eventos, especialmente sobre a sexualidade para as enfermeiras.

Aplicatiu web per la gestió de l’Associació Cultural Pubills

S'ha creat un aplicatiu web autogestionable per a l'Associació Cultural Pubills de Valls de Torroella que millora l’existent. El nou aplicatiu disposa de noves funcionalitats com el fòrum, notícies, secció d’arxius multimèdia i botiga virtual. L'aplicatiu ha estat desenvolupat des de zero utilitzant programari lliure i els principals llenguatges de programació web actuals. Projecte disponible a http://www.pubills.com.

Gain-of-function haplotype in the epithelial calcium channel TRPV6 is a risk factor for renal calcium stone formation.

The rate-limiting step of dietary calcium absorption in the intestine requires the brush border calcium entry channel TRPV6. The TRPV6 gene was completely sequenced in 170 renal calcium stone patients. The frequency of an ancestral TRPV6 haplotype consisting of three non-synonymous polymorphisms (C157R, M378V, M681T) was significantly higher (P = 0.039) in calcium stone formers (8.4%; derived = 502, ancestral = 46) compared to non-stone-forming individuals (5.4%; derived = 645, ancestral = 37). Mineral metabolism was investigated on four different calcium regimens: (i) free-choice diet, (ii) low calcium diet, (iii) fasting and (iv) after a 1 g oral calcium load. When patients homozygous for the derived haplotype were compared with heterozygous patients, no differences were found with respect to the plasma concentrations of 1,25-vitamin D, PTH and calcium, and the urinary excretion of calcium. In one stone-forming patient, the ancestral haplotype was found to be homozygous. This patient had absorptive hypercalciuria. We therefore expressed the ancestral protein (157R+378V+681T) in Xenopus oocytes and found a significantly enhanced calcium permeability when tested by a (45)Ca(2+) uptake assay (7.11 +/- 1.93 versus 3.61 +/- 1.01 pmol/min/oocyte for ancestral versus derived haplotype, P < 0.01). These results suggest that the ancestral gain-of-function haplotype in TRPV6 plays a role in calcium stone formation in certain forms of absorptive hypercalciuria.

GATA3-driven Th2 responses inhibit TGF-beta1-induced FOXP3 expression and the formation of regulatory T cells.

Transcription factors act in concert to induce lineage commitment towards Th1, Th2, or T regulatory (Treg) cells, and their counter-regulatory mechanisms were shown to be critical for polarization between Th1 and Th2 phenotypes. FOXP3 is an essential transcription factor for natural, thymus-derived (nTreg) and inducible Treg (iTreg) commitment; however, the mechanisms regulating its expression are as yet unknown. We describe a mechanism controlling iTreg polarization, which is overruled by the Th2 differentiation pathway. We demonstrated that interleukin 4 (IL-4) present at the time of T cell priming inhibits FOXP3. This inhibitory mechanism was also confirmed in Th2 cells and in T cells of transgenic mice overexpressing GATA-3 in T cells, which are shown to be deficient in transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-mediated FOXP3 induction. This inhibition is mediated by direct binding of GATA3 to the FOXP3 promoter, which represses its transactivation process. Therefore, this study provides a new understanding of tolerance development, controlled by a type 2 immune response. IL-4 treatment in mice reduces iTreg cell frequency, highlighting that therapeutic approaches that target IL-4 or GATA3 might provide new preventive strategies facilitating tolerance induction particularly in Th2-mediated diseases, such as allergy.

Adaptação cultural e validação do instrumento demandas de atenção dirigida

Este estudo tem como objetivos traduzir e validar o instrumento Requirement for Directed Attention (RDA), desenvolvido por Guirardello, para a cultura brasileira. É um instrumento composto de 39 itens que aborda situações no ambiente de trabalho de unidades de cuidados críticos e médico-cirúrgica que demandam atenção dirigida do enfermeiro. O procedimento metodológico constituiu nas etapas de: a) tradução do instrumento para a língua portuguesa; b) back-translation; c) avaliação por um grupo de juízes e d) pré-teste da versão final do instrumento. O instrumento na versão em Português foi aplicado a um grupo de 44 enfermeiros. Os dados resultaram em alta consistência interna para o total dos itens (a = 0,91) e para os domínios: Ambiente Físico (a = 0,78), Psicológico (a = 0,85) e Comportamental (a = 0,80). Apenas o domínio Informação obteve um a de 0,12. Esses resultados sugerem que a versão em Português do RDA pode ser usada para avaliar as demandas de atenção do enfermeiro.

Formation of chlorite during thrust fault reactivation. Record of fluid origin and P-T conditions in the Monte Perdido thrust fault (southern Pyrenees)

The chemical and isotopic compositions of clay minerals such as illite and chlorite are commonly used to quantify diagenetic and low-grade metamorphic conditions, an approach that is also used in the present study of the Monte Perdido thrust fault from the South Pyrenean fold-and-thrust belt. The Monte Perdido thrust fault is a shallow thrust juxtaposing upper Cretaceous-Paleocene platform carbonates and Lower Eocene marls and turbidites from the Jaca basin. The core zone of the fault, about 6 m thick, consists of intensely deformed clay-bearing rocks bounded by major shear surfaces. Illite and chlorite are the main hydrous minerals in the fault zone. Illite is oriented along cleavage planes while chlorite formed along shear veins (< 50 mu m in thickness). Authigenic chlorite provides essential information about the origin of fluids and their temperature. delta O-18 and delta D values of newly formed chlorite support equilibration with sedimentary interstitial water, directly derived from the local hanging wall and footwall during deformation. Given the absence of large-scale fluid flow, the mineralization observed in the thrust faults records the P-T conditions of thrust activity. Temperatures of chlorite formation of about 240A degrees C are obtained via two independent methods: chlorite compositional thermometers and oxygen isotope fractionation between cogenetic chlorite and quartz. Burial depth conditions of 7 km are determined for the Monte Perdido thrust reactivation, coupling calculated temperature and fluid inclusion isochores. The present study demonstrates that both isotopic and thermodynamic methods applied to clay minerals formed in thrust fault are useful to help constrain diagenetic and low-grade metamorphic conditions.

Report of Recommendations to the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, June 30, 2002

State Agency Audit Report

New gene functions in megakaryopoiesis and platelet formation.

Platelets are the second most abundant cell type in blood and are essential for maintaining haemostasis. Their count and volume are tightly controlled within narrow physiological ranges, but there is only limited understanding of the molecular processes controlling both traits. Here we carried out a high-powered meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in up to 66,867 individuals of European ancestry, followed by extensive biological and functional assessment. We identified 68 genomic loci reliably associated with platelet count and volume mapping to established and putative novel regulators of megakaryopoiesis and platelet formation. These genes show megakaryocyte-specific gene expression patterns and extensive network connectivity. Using gene silencing in Danio rerio and Drosophila melanogaster, we identified 11 of the genes as novel regulators of blood cell formation. Taken together, our findings advance understanding of novel gene functions controlling fate-determining events during megakaryopoiesis and platelet formation, providing a new example of successful translation of GWAS to function.