Satisfação e sobrecarga de profissionais de saúde mental: validade de construto das escalas SATIS-BR e IMPACTO-BR

OBJETIVO: Os níveis de satisfação e sobrecarga de profissionais em serviços de saúde mental afetam tanto a sua saúde e o bem-estar quanto a qualidade do cuidado prestado aos pacientes. Para avaliar estas dimensões, é necessário ter acesso a escalas de medida válidas e fidedignas. Este artigo visou descrever um estudo da validade de construto de duas escalas de avaliação da satisfação (SATIS-BR) e da sobrecarga (IMPACTO-BR) de profissionais em serviços de saúde mental. MÉTODOS: As escalas foram aplicadas a uma amostra de 172 profissionais, que trabalhavam em seis serviços de psiquiatria de uma cidade de porte médio de São Paulo. A validade de construto foi avaliada a partir do teste da hipótese de que deve haver uma correlação significativa entre dois construtos teoricamente relacionados. Para isso, foram feitas análises estatísticas correlacionais de Spearman entre as escalas de satisfação e sobrecarga, assim como uma comparação de dois subgrupos de sujeitos, com e sem indicativo de estresse, com relação aos seus graus de satisfação e sobrecarga no trabalho. RESULTADOS: Obteve-se correlação significativa negativa esperada entre os escores de satisfação e sobrecarga (r = -0,38). Obteve-se ainda a diferença significativa entre dois grupos de sujeitos, com e sem estresse, com relação ao grau de satisfação e sobrecarga no trabalho, sujeitos com estresse apresentando níveis mais baixos de satisfação no trabalho e grau mais elevado de sobrecarga. CONCLUSÕES: Conclui-se que as escalas analisadas apresentam validade de construto e são adequadas para monitorar a qualidade de serviços de saúde mental. A escala de sobrecarga constituiu um preditor do estresse apresentado pelos trabalhadores em saúde mental.

Versão brasileira da Escala de Avaliação da Cognição em Esquizofrenia (SCoRS-Br): validação em contextos clínicos sem informantes

OBJETIVO: A SCoRS é uma medida coprimária de avaliação da cognição na esquizofrenia, baseada em entrevista, relacionada à performance cognitiva e ao funcionamento no mundo real. Em sua versão original, envolve entrevistas com pacientes e informantes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi buscar evidências de validade de construto convergente e de fidedignidade da versão brasileira da SCoRS (SCoRS-Br) em contextos sem disponibilidade de informantes qualificados. MÉTODO: Foram incluídos 49 pacientes com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia, segundo o DSM-IV. A validação de construto convergente foi realizada utilizando-se o teste R1 e o Miniexame do Estado Mental (MEEM) como instrumentos-padrão. Estimativas de correlação foram avaliadas pelo método de Pearson. Avaliou-se, ainda, a consistência interna da SCoRS. RESULTADOS: A correlação de Pearson entre os resultados da SCoRS sob a perspectiva do entrevistador e os resultados do teste R1 mostrou-se baixa, mas significativa. O coeficiente de Cronbach foi de 0,8829 para a SCoRS examinador e 0,8468 para a SCoRS paciente e o split-half foi de 0,811 e 0,806, respectivamente. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados evidenciam a validade convergente e fidedignidade da SCoRS, mesmo empregada sem a utilização de informantes. Estudos são necessários para a investigação dos demais critérios de validação.

Escala de Satisfação dos Pacientes com os Serviços de Saúde Mental (SATIS-BR): estudo de validação

OBJETIVO: Fazer um estudo da validade de construto, validade convergente e consistência interna da Escala de Satisfação dos Pacientes com os Serviços de Saúde Mental (SATIS-BR). MÉTODO: Participaram da pesquisa 110 pacientes psiquiátricos, atendidos em cinco serviços públicos de saúde mental do interior de Minas Gerais. A escala foi aplicada em entrevistas individuais estruturadas. A escala possui 12 itens que avaliam a satisfação dos pacientes, com alternativas de resposta dispostas em escala Likert de 5 pontos. Foi também aplicada a Escala de Mudança Percebida (EMP) para a análise de validade convergente da SATIS-BR. RESULTADOS: A análise fatorial pelo método Principal Axis Factoring revelou uma estrutura fatorial de três fatores, que avaliam a satisfação dos pacientes em relação às dimensões: 1. Competência e compreensão da equipe; 2. Ajuda e acolhida; 3. Condições físicas do serviço. A análise pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach mostrou boa consistência interna (alfa = 0,88). A análise da validade convergente foi adequada, tendo sido obtida uma correlação de Pearson positiva significativa com a escala EMP, que avalia um construto teoricamente relacionado ao de satisfação (r = 0,41; p < 0,001). CONCLUSÃO: A escala SATIS-BR apresenta qualidades psicométricas adequadas de validade de construto, validade convergente e fidedignidade.

Analysis of physicochemical interaction between the components of asphalt mixtures with rubber

Tese de Doutoramento em Engenharia Civil

The results of the Campaign for evaluating sphygmomanometers accuracy and their physical conditions

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sphygmomanometers calibration accuracy and the physical conditions of the cuff-bladder, bulb, pump, and valve. METHODS: Sixty hundred and forty five aneroid sphygmomanometers were evaluated, 521 used in private practice and 124 used in hospitals. Aneroid manometers were tested against a properly calibrated mercury manometer and were considered calibrated when the error was <=3mm Hg. The physical conditions of the cuffs-bladder, bulb, pump, and valve were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the aneroid sphygmomanometers tested, 51% of those used in private practice and 56% of those used in hospitals were found to be not accurately calibrated. Of these, the magnitude of inaccuracy ranged from 4 to 8mm Hg in 70% and 51% of the devices, respectively. The problems found in the cuffs - bladders, bulbs, pumps, and valves of the private practice and hospital devices were bladder damage (34% vs. 21%, respectively), holes/leaks in the bulbs (22% vs. 4%, respectively), and rubber aging (15% vs. 12%, respectively). Of the devices tested, 72% revealed at least one problem interfering with blood pressure measurement accuracy. CONCLUSION: Most of the manometers evaluated, whether used in private practice or in hospitals, were found to be inaccurate and unreliable, and their use may jeopardize the diagnosis and treatment of arterial hypertension.

Método para coleta de água em Bromeliáceas

The author describes a new technique of collecting water in bromeliads. It consists in the use of a plastic seringe adapted to a small plastic canule, which is tied to a rubber tube. Pictures are given to better understanding.

A simple modification of the Baermann method for diagnosis of strongyloidiasis

The diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infections is routinely made by microscopic observation of larvae in stool samples, a low sensitivity method, or by other, most effective methods, such as the Baermann or agar culture plate methods. We propose in this paper a practical modification of Baermann method. One hundred and six stool samples from alcoholic patients were analyzed using the direct smear test, agar culture plate method, the standard Baermann method, and its proposed modification. For this modification the funnel used in the original version of the method is substituted by a test tube with a rubber stopper, perforated to allow insertion of a pipette tip. The tube with a fecal suspension is inverted over another tube containing 6 ml of saline solution and incubated at 37°C for at least 2 h. The saline solution from the second tube is centrifuged and the pellet is observed microscopically. Larva of S. stercoralis were detected in six samples (5.7%) by the two versions of the Baermann method. Five samples were positive using the agar culture plate method, and only in two samples the larva were observed using direct microscopic observation of fecal smears. Cysts of Endolimax nana and Entamoeba histolytica/dyspar were also detected in the modification of Baermann method. Data obtained by the modified Baermann method suggest that this methodology may helps concentrate larvae of S. stercoralis as efficiently as the original method.

Get into rubber!

This poster provides advice on the use of condoms as a method of protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It also provides contact details for the�Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinics in Northern Ireland.

More about the role of 2,6-dichlorophenol in tick courtship: identification and olfactometer bioassay in Amblyomma cajennense and Rhipicephalus sanguineus

This study aimed to identify 2,6-dichlorophenol (2,6-DCP) in Amblyomma cajennense and to evaluate its role in A. cajennense and Rhipicephalus sanguineus courtship. Hexanic extract from attractive females was purified by solid phase extraction and the phenol was identified by the single ion monitoring method using GC/MS. In an olfactometer, the responses of A. cajennense and R. sanguineus males to females, control rubber septa or rubber septa impregnated with 2,6-DCP at 50, 500, and 5000 ng, respectively, were studied. 2,6-DCP was identified in A. cajennense extract and the males oriented themselves toward the concentration of 500 ng. These septa and the females were recognized as copula partners. The septa treated with 2,6-DCP did not attract and were not even recognized by the R. sanguineus males, whereas the females were recognized. Due to the presence of 2,6-DCP in A. cajennense and the results of biological bioassays, it was concluded that this compound acts as an attractant and mounting sex pheromone in this tick, but it does not play any role in R. sanguineus courtship.

Chikungunya virus outbreak in Kerala, India, 2007: a seroprevalence study

India was affected by a major outbreak of chikungunya fever caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) during 2006-2007. Kerala was the worst affected state during 2007 with a contribution of 55.8% suspected cases in the country. However, except for clinically reported case records, no systematic information is available on infection status of CHIKV in the region. Hence, we carried out a post-epidemic survey to estimate seroprevalence status [immunoglobulin G (IgG)] in the community using commercially available indirect immunofluorescence test. This methodology had been reported to be highly specific and sensitive for CHIKV infection. The study area selected was the worst affected mid-highlands region of Kerala which harbour vast area of rubber plantations. The study evidenced 68% of the population to be seropositive for CHIKV IgG. Males were found more affected than females (&#967;2 = 9.86; p = 0.002). Among males, prevalence was significantly higher in the age classes 21-30 (&#967;2 = 5.46; p = 0.019) and 31-40 (&#967;2 = 5.84; p = 0.016) years. This may be due to high occupational risk of the male population engaged in plantation activities exposed to infective bites of Aedes albopictus. The current study provides an insight into the magnitude of CHIKV outbreak in Kerala.

Experimental infection with the Toxoplasma gondii ME-49 strain in the Brazilian BR-1 mini pig is a suitable animal model for human toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis, a worldwide disease. Experimentation with pigs is necessary for the development of new therapeutic approaches to human diseases. BR-1 mini pigs were intramuscularly infected with T. gondii with tachyzoites (RH strain) or orally infected with cysts (ME-49 strain). Haematology and serum biochemistry were analysed and buffy coat cells were inoculated in mice to determine tachyzoite circulation. No alterations were observed in erythrocyte and platelet values; however, band neutrophils increased seven days after infection with ME-49. Serology of the mice inoculated with pig blood leucocytes revealed circulating ME-49 or RH strain tachyzoites in the pigs' peripheral blood at two and seven or nine days post-infection. The tachyzoites were also directly observed in blood smears from the infected pigs outside and inside leucocytes for longer periods. Alanine-aminotransferase was high at days 21 and 32 in the RH infected pigs. After 90 days, the pigs were euthanised and their tissue samples were processed and inoculated into mice. The mice serology revealed the presence of parasites in the hearts, ileums and mesenteric lymph nodes of the pigs. Additionally, cysts in the mice were only observed after pig heart tissue inoculation. The infected pigs presented similar human outcomes with relatively low pathogenicity and the BR-1 mini pig model infected with ME-49 is suitable to monitor experimental toxoplasmosis.

Basis set superposition error-counterpoise corrected potential energy surfaces : application to hydrogen peroxide ... X (X=F-, Cl-, Br-, Li+, Na+) complexes

Møller-Plesset (MP2) and Becke-3-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) calculations have been used to compare the geometrical parameters, hydrogen-bonding properties, vibrational frequencies and relative energies for several X- and X+ hydrogen peroxide complexes. The geometries and interaction energies were corrected for the basis set superposition error (BSSE) in all the complexes (1-5), using the full counterpoise method, yielding small BSSE values for the 6-311 + G(3df,2p) basis set used. The interaction energies calculated ranged from medium to strong hydrogen-bonding systems (1-3) and strong electrostatic interactions (4 and 5). The molecular interactions have been characterized using the atoms in molecules theory (AIM), and by the analysis of the vibrational frequencies. The minima on the BSSE-counterpoise corrected potential-energy surface (PES) have been determined as described by S. Simón, M. Duran, and J. J. Dannenberg, and the results were compared with the uncorrected PES

¶ LE VOYAGE et || expedition de Charles le quint em- || pereur en Africque cõtre la || ville de Argiere. || ¶ La description de larmee & voyage de || Lempereur en Africque contre la || ville de Argiere / enuoyee a || mõsieur de Langest / tra- || duicte de latin en || françois. || ¶ Mil. D. xlii [1542] || ¶ On les vend a Paris en la rue sainct Ia- || ques a lenseigne des troys Brochetz / par Be- || noist de Gourmont. In-8 de 20 f. non chiffr. de 25 lignes à la page, sign. A-E par 4, mar. br., riches entrelacs et rinceaux en mosaïque de mar. vert, citron et rouge, doublé de mar. bleu, feuillages à petits fers, dos orné, gardes de moire bleue, tr. dor., dans un étui de mar. v. (Lortic.)

Charles Quint, roi d'Espagne et empereur d'Allemagne, d'abord archiduc d'Autriche. Le Voyage et Expedition de Charles le quint en Africque contre la ville de Argiere (1542)

Guayule and Russian dandelion as alternative sources of natural rubber.

Natural rubber, obtained almost exclusively from the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), is a unique biopolymer of strategic importance that, in many of its most significant applications, cannot be replaced by synthetic rubber alternatives. Several pressing motives lead to the search for alternative sources of natural rubber. These include increased evidence of allergenic reactions to Hevea rubber, the danger that the fungal pathogen Microcyclus ulei, causative agent of South American Leaf Blight (SALB), might spread to Southeast Asia, which would severely disrupt rubber production, potential shortages of supply due to increasing demand and changes in land use, and a general trend towards the replacement of petroleum-derived chemicals with renewables. Two plant species have received considerable attention as potential alternative sources of natural rubber: the Mexican shrub Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) and the Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz). This review will summarize the current production methods and applications of natural rubber (dry rubber and latex), the threats to the production of natural rubber from the rubber tree, and describe the current knowledge of the production of natural rubber from guayule and Russian dandelion.

Ciclo biológico de Calacarus heveae Feres, 1992 (Acari, Eriophyidae)

Calacarus heveae Feres, 1992 is an Eriophyidae mite described from rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) in the northwest region of the State of São Paulo. This mite prefers the adaxial face of the folioles and it can reduce the brightness of the leaves, turning them progressively yellow and brownish, and consequently premature fall. The aim of this work was to study the biology of C. heveae in laboratory, on detached rubber tree folioles. The study was conducted at 28±1 ºC in the photophase (12h), 25±1 ºC in the dark phase (12h), and 90±5% relative humidity. The study was initiated with a total of 59 eggs. The average duration of egg, larva and nymph stages was 5.8, 2.0 and 1.4 days, respectively. The period from egg to adult lasted 9.3 days, and the average periods of pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition, 1.8, 6.1 and 1.2 days, respectively. The average longevity of the adult male was ca. 4.0 days, while the longevity adult female was about 8.4 days. The average daily oviposition rate was 2.3 egg per female while the average fecundity was 16.2 eggs per female.