Bacterial cellulose nanocrystals obtained through enzymatic and acidic routes: A comparative study of their main properties and in vitro biological responses.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are crystalline domains isolated from cellulosic fibers. They have been utilized in a wide range of applications, such as reinforcing fillers, antibacterial agents and manufacturing of biosensors. Whitin this context, the aim of this work was to obtain and analyze CNCs extracted from bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) using two distinct methods combined with milling pre-treatment: an acidic hydrolysis using 64 % sulfuric acid and an enzymatic hydrolysis using a commercial cellulase enzyme mixture. The CNCs obtained from the enzymatic route (e-CNCs) were observed to be spherical nanoparticles with diameter of 56 ± 11 nm. In contrast, the CNCs from the acid hydrolysis (a-CNCs) appeared as needle-shaped nanoparticles with a high aspect ratio with lengths/widths of 158 ± 64 nm/11 ± 2 nm. The surface zeta potential (ZP) of the a-CNCs was -30,8 mV, whereas the e-CNCs has a potential of +2.70 ± 3.32 mV, indicating that a-CNCs consisted of negatively charged particles with higher stability in solution. Although the acidic route resulted in nanocrystals with a slightly higher crystallinity index compared to the enzymatic route, e-CNCs was found to be more thermally stable than BNC and a-CNCs. Here, we also confirmed the safety of a-CNCs and e-CNCs using L929 cell line. Lastly, this article describes two different CNCs synthesis approaches that leads to the formation of nanoparticles with different dimensions, morphology and unique physicochemical properties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to yield spherical nanoparticles as a result of BNC enzymatic treatment.

Demographic, social, and clinical aspects associated with access to COVID-19 health care in Pará province, Brazilian Amazon.

Internal social disparities in the Brazilian Amazon became more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this work was to examine the demographic, social and clinical factors associated with access to COVID-19 health care in Pará Province in the Brazilian Amazon. This was an observational, cross-sectional, analytical study using a quantitative method through an online survey conducted from May to August 2023. People were eligible to participate if they were current residents of Pará, 18-years-old or older, with self-reported diagnoses of COVID-19 through rapid or laboratory tests. Participants completed an electronic survey was developed using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software-The adapted questionnaire "COVID-19 Global Clinical Platform: Case Report Form for Post-COVID Condition". Questions focused on access to COVID-19 treatment, demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine and clinical characteristics. Respondent-driven sampling was applied to recruit participants. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to identify the associated factors. Overall, a total of 638 participants were included. The average age was 31.1 years. Access to COVID-19 health care was 68.65% (438/638). The participants most likely to access health care were those with moderate or severe COVID-19 (p = 0.000; OR: 19.8) and females (p = 0.001; OR: 1.99). Moreover, participants who used homemade tea or herbal medicines were less likely to receive health care for COVID-19 in health services (p = 0.002; OR: 0.54). Ensuring access to healthcare is important in a pandemic scenario.

Fluid therapy and pulmonary complications in abdominal surgeries: randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the most effective strategy for Postoperative Pulmonary Complication (PPC) reduction. This study hypothesized that a Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy (GDFT) protocol of infusion of predetermined boluses reduces the occurrence of PPC in patients undergoing elective open abdominal surgeries when compared with Standard of Care (SOC) strategy. METHODS: Randomized, prospective, controlled study, conducted from May 2012 to December 2014, with ASA I, II or III patients undergoing open abdominal surgeries, lasting at least 120 min, under general anesthesia, randomized into the SOC and the GDFT group. In the SOC, fluid administration was according to the anesthesiologist's discretion. In the GDFT, the intervention protocol, based on bolus infusion according to blood pressure and delta pulse pressure, was applied. Patients were postoperatively evaluated by an anesthesiologist blinded to the group allocation regarding PPC incidence, mortality, and Length of Hospital Stay (LOHS). RESULTS: Forty-two patients in the SOC group and 43 in the GDFT group. Nineteen patients (45%) in the SOC and 6 in the GDFT (14%) had at least one PPC (p = 0.003). There was no difference in mortality or LOHS between the groups. Among the patients with PPC, four died (25%), compared to two deaths in patients without PPC (3%) (p = 0.001). The LOHS had a median of 14.5 days in the group with PPC and 9 days in the group without PPC (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The GDFT protocol resulted in a lower rate of PPC; however, the LOHS and mortality did not reduce.

Board game on sexually transmitted infections for imprisoned women.

INTRODUCTION: The board games is an educational technology that represents an appealing, active and playful pedagogical strategy and may be capable of motivating imprisoned women to learn about Sexually Transmitted Infections. METHODS: A methodological study to develop and evaluate a board game, following these stages: 1. Integrative literature review to identify educational technologies on Sexually Transmitted Infections used by imprisoned women; 2. Development of the board game; and 3. Content validation performed by 23 evaluators and semantic evaluation carried out with 10 imprisoned women who were enrolled in a school located within a female prison unit in the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil. RESULTS: The board game consisted of the following: 01 board; 01 instructions manual; 05 pawns; 52 cards; and 01 dice. A global Content Validity Index of 0.966 was reached in the content validation process performed by health and education professionals. In the validation of the board game content regarding appearance, performed by designers/developers, most of the items obtained a Content Validity Coefficient below 0.85, which resulted in the need for adjustments and a new validation round with these professionals, in which Content Validity Coefficient = 0.917 was obtained. In the semantic evaluation, all the women stated that they improved their knowledge, increased their motivation to attend the class and would like to play the board game again. CONCLUSIONS: The "Previna" board game has been validated and can be considered an important pedagogical tool in the construction of knowledge in relation to the prevention, treatment and control of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the female prison context. The quality of this educational technology is directly related to its development based on an appropriate theoretical and methodological framework, in addition to satisfactory feedback from the target audience. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

3D Filaments Based on Polyhydroxy Butyrate-Micronized Bacterial Cellulose for Tissue Engineering Applications.

In this work, scaffolds based on poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and micronized bacterial cellulose (BC) were produced through 3D printing. Filaments for the printing were obtained by varying the percentage of micronized BC (0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00%) inserted in relation to the PHB matrix. Despite the varying concentrations of BC, the biocomposite filaments predominantly contained PHB functional groups, as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated. Thermogravimetric analyses (i.e., TG and DTG) of the filaments showed that the peak temperature (Tpeak) of PHB degradation decreased as the concentration of BC increased, with the lowest being 248 °C, referring to the biocomposite filament PHB/2.0% BC, which has the highest concentration of BC. Although there was a variation in the thermal behavior of the filaments, it was not significant enough to make printing impossible, considering that the PHB melting temperature was 170 °C. Biological assays indicated the non-cytotoxicity of scaffolds and the provision of cell anchorage sites. The results obtained in this research open up new paths for the application of this innovation in tissue engineering.

Croton cajucara: Patents and Nanotechnological Advances.

Croton cajucara Benth showed several pharmacological properties such as: anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, antiulcer, antiestrogenic, antitumor, antigenotoxic, antimutagenic, and cardiovascular. The 19-nor-clerodane diterpene trans-dehydrocrotonin (t-DCTN or DCTN) is the major bioactive constituent extracted from the bark of this Croton. Patents for Croton cajucara Benth in the period 2015 to 2022 comprises 14 published documents. Among them 4 patents are colloidal systems (SM/SNEDDS) loading t-DCTN for pharmacological applications. Patent registrations highlighted the huge promising biotechnological potential of Croton cajucara Benth especially in the phytotherapy field, and the correlation with its bioactive constituents of which t-DCTN showed the foremost results, so this herbal could become an alternative in the treatment of Covid-19. However, investigation of more recently published patents for clerodane diterpenes with similar chemical structure of t-DCTN, who previously showed antiviral property must be carried out and should be searched on several patent data bases.

Emergent community architecture despite distinct diversity in the global whale shark (Rhincodon typus) epidermal microbiome.

Microbiomes confer beneficial physiological traits to their host, but microbial diversity is inherently variable, challenging the relationship between microbes and their contribution to host health. Here, we compare the diversity and architectural complexity of the epidermal microbiome from 74 individual whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) across five aggregations globally to determine if network properties may be more indicative of the microbiome-host relationship. On the premise that microbes are expected to exhibit biogeographic patterns globally and that distantly related microbial groups can perform similar functions, we hypothesized that microbiome co-occurrence patterns would occur independently of diversity trends and that keystone microbes would vary across locations. We found that whale shark aggregation was the most important factor in discriminating taxonomic diversity patterns. Further, microbiome network architecture was similar across all aggregations, with degree distributions matching Erdos-Renyi-type networks. The microbiome-derived networks, however, display modularity indicating a definitive microbiome structure on the epidermis of whale sharks. In addition, whale sharks hosted 35 high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) of which 25 were present from all sample locations, termed the abundant 'core'. Two main MAG groups formed, defined here as Ecogroup 1 and 2, based on the number of genes present in metabolic pathways, suggesting there are at least two important metabolic niches within the whale shark microbiome. Therefore, while variability in microbiome diversity is high, network structure and core taxa are inherent characteristics of the epidermal microbiome in whale sharks. We suggest the host-microbiome and microbe-microbe interactions that drive the self-assembly of the microbiome help support a functionally redundant abundant core and that network characteristics should be considered when linking microbiomes with host health.

Fire management effects on ruminal digestibility and in vitro methane emissions of subtropical rangeland plant species.

Prescribed fire is a common management practice used to manipulate rangeland plant productivity and composition. Although the nutritive value of most herbaceous plant species is considered poor for grazing animals, native rangelands in Florida are an important source of forage for livestock, especially during the winter months, when the productivity of cultivated perennial warm-season pastures is limited. This study evaluated the effects of prescribed fire on methanogenic potential and nutritive value of selected native rangeland plant species. Treatments were a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of plant species (creeping bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium var. stoloniferum {Nash} Wipff], wiregrass [Aristida stricta {Michx.}], or saw palmetto [Serenoa repens {W. Bartram} Small]) and prescribed fire management [2 yr after burning (control) vs. 1 yr after burning (burned)] distributed in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Samples were analyzed for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent undigestible fiber (NDF), in vitro methane production, and in situ ruminal disappearance. Prescribed fire generally increased forage CP and DM effective degradability relative to control; however, no effect was observed on saw palmetto. Wiregrass had the least CP concentration in both burned (8.5%) and control (2.3%). In burned treatments, creeping bluestem and palmetto had greater DM effective degradability (62% and 58%) than wiregrass (53%). Fire increased in vitro gas production by 60 (creeping bluestem) to 90% (wiregrass) relative to control treatments. No effect of fire on methane production was observed for any of the plant species evaluated in this study. Creeping bluestem had the greatest methane production (12.5 mg/g DM), followed by wiregrass (5.3 mg/g DM) and saw palmetto (1.4 mg/g DM). Methane:DM effective degradability decreased in the following order: creeping bluestem ≥ wiregrass > saw palmetto. Data indicated prescribed fire was an effective tool to increase creeping bluestem and wiregrass nutritive value but no effect was observed on saw palmetto. Cattle grazing grass-dominated rangelands will likely emit more gas and methane than shrub or tree-dominated ecosystems; however, the greater forage nutritive value and subsequent positive impacts on animal production are expected to offset a substantial fraction of enteric methane emissions.

Production of galactan phthalates derivatives extracted from Gracilaria birdie: Characterization, cytotoxic and antioxidant profile.

The present work explores the esterification reaction in the polysaccharide extracted from the seaweed Gracilaria birdiae and investigates its antioxidant potential. The reaction process was conducted with phthalic anhydride at different reaction times (10, 20 and 30 min), using a molar ratio of 1:2 (polymer: phthalic anhydride). Derivatives were characterized by FTIR, TGA, DSC and XRD. The biological properties of derivatives were investigated by assays of cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydroxyl - DPPH and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt - ABTS). The results obtained by FT-IR confirmed the chemical modification, there was a reduction related to the presence of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups when compared to the in nature polysaccharide spectrum. TGA analysis showed a change in the thermal behavior of the modified materials. X-ray diffraction, it was shown that the in nature polysaccharide appeared as an amorphous material, while the material obtained after the chemical modification process had increased crystallinity, due to the introduction of phthalate groups. For the biological assays, it was observed that the phthalate derivative was more selective than the unmodified material for the murine metastatic melanoma tumor cell line (B16F10), revealing a good antioxidant profile for DPPH and ABTS radicals.

Evaluation of a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial probiotic on in vitro rumen gas production and nutrient digestibility of different feedstuffs and total mixed rations.

We evaluated the effects of a Bacillus-based direct-fed microbial (DFM) on total in vitro gas production, dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and starch disappearance of different feedstuffs and total mixed rations (TMR) in three different experiments. In experiment 1, six single fiber-based feedstuffs were evaluated: alfalfa hay, buffalo grass, beet pulp, eragrostis hay, oat hay, and smutsvinger grass. Experimental treatments were control (with no probiotic inoculation; CON) or incubation of a probiotic mixture containing Bacillus licheniformis and B. subtilis (3.2 × 109 CFU/g; DFM). The calculation of DFM dose under in vitro conditions was based on the assumption of a rumen capacity of 70 liter and the dose of 3 g of the DFM mixture/head/d (9.6 × 109 CFU). Total in vitro gas production, DM, and NDF disappearance were evaluated at 24- and 48 h posttreatment incubation. Mean treatment effects were observed at 24- and 48 h gas production (P < 0.0001), as DFM incubation increased in vitro gas production by 5.0% and 6.5%, respectively. For nutrient digestibility, mean DM digestibility was increased at 48 h (P = 0.05), whereas mean NDF digestibility increased at both timepoints by incubating DFM in vitro (P ≤ 0.02). In experiment 2, nine commercial dairy TMR were collected and evaluated for the same variables and treatments described in experiment 1, with the additional analysis of starch digestibility at 7 h post in vitro incubation. The only difference was the concentration of the DFM included, being representative for a dosage of 8.8 × 109 CFU/head/d. In vitro gas production was increased only at 48 h due to DFM incubation (P = 0.05), whereas DM and NDF digestibility were improved at 24 and 48 h (P ≤ 0.02). No treatment effects were observed on in vitro starch digestibility (P = 0.31). In experiment 3, a combined analysis of DM and NDF digestibility was performed by using quality values (NDF and crude protein or CP) of 16 substrates. Regardless of CP and NDF levels of the substrates, DFM improved in vitro 24 and 48 h DM and NDF digestibility (P ≤ 0.03). In summary, incubating a Bacillus-based DFM (B. licheniformis and B. subtilis; BOVACILLUS) improved mean in vitro gas production, DM, and NDF digestibility of single feedstuffs and commercial dairy TMR, highlighting the potential of this combination of Bacillus spp. to improve nutrient utilization, mainly fiber.

Effect of a board game on imprisoned women's knowledge about sexually transmitted infections: a quasi-experimental study.

INTRODUCTION: Board games can be used as a playful educational practice in the teaching and learning process, as they constitute an educational technology that can be a source of health knowledge and an aid in decision-making. The objective of this research was to assess the effect of a board game on imprisoned women's knowledge about STIs. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2022 with 64 imprisoned women who were students at a school located in a prison unit from the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil. A 32-item instrument was used to assess knowledge about sexually transmitted infections before, immediately after the intervention and at 15 days. The intervention consisted in applying the Previna board game in a classroom. All the analyses were performed in the Stata software, version 16.0, with a 5% significance level. RESULTS: The knowledge mean in the pre-test was 23.62 (± 3.23) points, whereas it rose to 27.93 (± 2,28) in the immediate post-test, dropping to 27.34 (± 2.37) (p < 0.001) in post-test 2, which was performed 15 days after the intervention. There was a statistically significant difference in the means obtained between the pre-test and the immediate post-test (p < 0.001), with a difference of 4.241 points, as well as between the pre-test and post-test 2 (p < 0.001), a difference of 3.846 spots. CONCLUSIONS: The Previna board game significantly increased its players' knowledge about STIs, and such increase in knowledge remained significant during the follow-up period.

Stingray epidermal microbiomes are species-specific with local adaptations.

Marine host-associated microbiomes are affected by a combination of species-specific (e.g., host ancestry, genotype) and habitat-specific features (e.g., environmental physiochemistry and microbial biogeography). The stingray epidermis provides a gradient of characteristics from high dermal denticles coverage with low mucus to reduce dermal denticles and high levels of mucus. Here we investigate the effects of host phylogeny and habitat by comparing the epidermal microbiomes of Myliobatis californica (bat rays) with a mucus rich epidermis, and Urobatis halleri (round rays) with a mucus reduced epidermis from two locations, Los Angeles and San Diego, California (a 150 km distance). We found that host microbiomes are species-specific and distinct from the water column, however composition of M. californica microbiomes showed more variability between individuals compared to U. halleri. The variability in the microbiome of M. californica caused the microbial taxa to be similar across locations, while U. halleri microbiomes were distinct across locations. Despite taxonomic differences, Shannon diversity is the same across the two locations in U. halleri microbiomes suggesting the taxonomic composition are locally adapted, but diversity is maintained by the host. Myliobatis californica and U. halleri microbiomes maintain functional similarity across Los Angeles and San Diego and each ray showed several unique functional genes. Myliobatis californica has a greater relative abundance of RNA Polymerase III-like genes in the microbiome than U. halleri, suggesting specific adaptations to a heavy mucus environment. Construction of Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs) identified novel microbial species within Rhodobacteraceae, Moraxellaceae, Caulobacteraceae, Alcanivoracaceae and Gammaproteobacteria. All MAGs had a high abundance of active RNA processing genes, heavy metal, and antibiotic resistant genes, suggesting the stingray mucus supports high microbial growth rates, which may drive high levels of competition within the microbiomes increasing the antimicrobial properties of the microbes.

Antimicrobial Formulation of a Bacterial Nanocellulose/Propolis-Containing Photosensitizer for Biomedical Applications.

With the aim of contributing to the development of more efficient materials for wound care, new topical formulations based on bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) hydrogels containing propolis were produced. Characterizations confirmed the incorporation of propolis into the BNC matrix, maintaining its structure and properties. Rheological analysis confirmed that the hydrogels showed thixotropic behavior appropriate for topical application. Chromatographic profiles showed sustained release of propolis biomarkers for at least 20 h. The formulations did not present mutagenicity. For application in photodynamic inactivation (PDI), BNC/propolis hydrogels were prepared with the photosensitizers methylene blue (MB). Spectroscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed the interaction of MB and propolis in BNC hydrogels, as well as the formation of a new composite material. In the antibacterial assays, formulations containing MB and propolis significantly reduced Staphylococcus aureus growth. In the presence of light, BNC/MB hydrogels completely inhibited the microorganism. Therefore, the results suggest potential materials for the prevention or treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections in wounds.

Lemon gum: Non-toxic arabinogalactan isolated from Citrus × latifolia with antiproliferative property against human prostate adenocarcinoma cells.

Lemon gum (LG) obtained from Citrus × latifolia in Brazil was isolated and characterized. In addition, gum biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by Galleria mellonella and mice model. The cytotoxicity against tumor cells was also evaluated. The ratio of arabinose:galactose: rhamnose:4-OMe-glucuronic acid was 1:0.65:0.06:0.15. Small traces of protein were detected, emphasizing the isolate purity. Molar mass was 8.08 × 105 g/mol, with three different degradation events. LG showed antiproliferative activity against human prostate adenocarcinoma cancer cells, with percentage superior to 50 %. In vivo toxicity models demonstrated that LG is biocompatible polymer, with little difference in the parameters compared to control group. These results demonstrate advance in the study of LG composition and toxicity, indicating a potential for several biomedical and biotechnological future applications.

Systemic Heparinization After Neuraxial Anesthesia in Vascular Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine's guidelines recommend a 1-hour interval after neuraxial anesthesia (NA) before systemic heparinization to mitigate the risk of spinal hematoma (SH). The study authors aimed to characterize the time interval between NA and systemic heparinization in vascular surgery patients (primary outcome). The secondary outcomes included the historic incidence of SH, and risk estimation of the SH formation based on available data. Heparin dose, length of surgery, difficulty and/or the number of NA attempts, and patient demographics were recorded. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis between April 2012 and April 2022. SETTING: A single (academic) center. PARTICIPANTS: Vascular surgery patients. INTERVENTIONS: Intravenous heparin administration. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All (N = 311) vascular patients were reviewed, of whom 127 (5 femoral-femoral bypass, 67 femoral-popliteal bypass, and 55 endovascular aneurysm repairs [EVAR]) received NA and were included in the final analysis. Patients receiving general anesthesia alone (N = 184) were excluded. Neuraxial anesthesia included spinal (N = 119), epidural (N = 4), or combined spinal-epidural (N = 4) blocks. The average time between NA and heparin administration was 42.8 ± 22.1 minutes, with 83.7% of patients receiving heparin within 1 hour of NA. The time between NA and heparin administration was 40.4 ± 22.3, 50.1 ± 23.4, and 31.3 ± 12.5 minutes for femoral-femoral bypass, femoral-popliteal bypass, and EVAR, respectively. Heparin was administered after 1 hour of NA in 20% of femoral-femoral bypass, 27% of femoral-popliteal bypass, and 3.9% of EVAR patients. No SHs were reported during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of vascular surgery patients at the authors' center received heparin within 1 hour of NA. Further studies are required to assess if their findings are consistent in other vascular surgery settings and/or centers.

Arabic coffee infusion based kombucha: Characterization and biological activity during fermentation, and in vivo toxicity.

In this study, arabic coffee infusion was used to produce a fermented beverage known as kombucha. The physicochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, as well as in vivo toxicity were evaluate throughout 21 days of fermentation. Reduction in pH and sugar levels were observed throughout the fermentation period. There was no significant difference in the content of total phenolic compounds between the unfermented and fermented beverage, nor between the fermentation times, as well as in the antioxidant activity. The 5-caffeoylquinic acid was identified at all fermentation times evaluated, and no significant difference was observed regarding its concentration. It showed antibacterial and antifungal activity against all strains tested. No toxic effect of the beverages was observed in the in vivo model (Galleria mellonella) studied. These results demonstrated that coffee infusion is a possible alternative for kombucha production since the physicochemical changes prove the metabolic activity of Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.

Análise de diagnósticos, intervenções e atividades de enfermagem em pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise secundária à COVID-19: estudo descritivo / Analysis of nursing diagnoses, interventions, and activities in patients undergoing hemodialysis secondary to COVID-19: a descriptive study

OBJETIVO: Analisar os diagnósticos, as intervenções e atividades de enfermagem em pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise secundária à COVID-19. MÉTODO: Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo e de natureza quantitativa. A população do estudo foi representada pelos prontuários de pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise secundária à COVID-19, totalizando cerca de 64 registros. Consultaram-se os dados do instrumento de coleta de dados, bem como dados sociodemográficos, clínicos e indicadores dos diagnósticos de enfermagem. Para análise, utilizou-se da estatística descritiva e inferencial. RESULTADOS: Os principais diagnósticos de enfermagem encontrados foram: risco de infecção, risco de volume de líquidos desequilibrado, déficit no autocuidado para banho/higiene íntima e troca de gases prejudicada. As intervenções e atividades assinaladas foram correspondentes aos diagnósticos traçados. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo possibilitou identificar os principais diagnósticos, as intervenções e atividades de enfermagem em pacientes acometidos pela COVID-19 que desenvolveram lesão renal aguda.

Objective: To analyze nursing diagnoses, interventions, and activities in patients undergoing hemodialysis secondary to COVID-19. METHOD: This is a descriptive, retrospective, and quantitative study. The study population was represented by the medical records of patients undergoing hemodialysis secondary to COVID-19, totaling about 64 records. Data from the data collection instrument, sociodemographic and clinical data, and indicators of nursing diagnoses were consulted. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. RESULTS: The main nursing diagnoses found were risk for infection, risk for imbalanced fluid volume, bathing/toileting self-care deficit, and impaired gas exchange. The registered interventions and activities corresponded to the outlined diagnoses. CONCLUSION: The study identified the main diagnoses, interventions, and nursing activities in patients affected by COVID-19 who developed acute kidney injury.

Validação de conteúdo do hemodialysis safety checklist para o português brasileiro: um estudo metodológico / Content validation of the hemodialysis safety checklist for brazilian portuguese: a methodological study

OBJETIVO: Realizar adaptação transcultural e validação do conteúdo do HemodialysisSafetyChecklist para uso no Brasil. MÉTODO: Este estudo metodológico foi dividido em seis etapas: i) tradução para o português; ii) comparação e síntese; iii) retrotradução cega; iv) comparação e análise das equivalências conceituais, semânticas e de conteúdo; v) teste piloto com a população-alvo; e vi) validação de conteúdo por meio do cálculo do índice de validade de conteúdo (IVC). RESULTADOS: O processo de adaptação transcultural realizado resultou em um instrumento considerado claro pela população-alvo após a realização do teste piloto. Após duas rodadas de avaliação pelos especialistas, o instrumento foi considerado válido, obtendo um IVC por item (I-IVC) ≥ 0,88 para cada item, e um IVC da escala (S-IVC/Ave) = 0,97. CONCLUSÃO: A versão em português do Hemodialysis Safety Checklist apresenta um conteúdo válido para utilização na realidade da hemodiálise brasileira.

OBJECTIVE: To perform cross-cultural adaptation and content validation of the Hemodialysis Safety Checklist for use in Brazil. METHODS: This methodological study was divided into six stages: i) translation into Portuguese; ii) comparison and synthesis; iii) blind back-translation; iv) comparison and analysis of conceptual, semantic, and content equivalence; v) pilot testing with the target population; and vi) content validation by calculating the Content Validity Index (CVI). RESULTS: The cross-cultural adaptation process resulted in an instrument that was considered precise by the target population after the pilot test. After two rounds of evaluation by experts, the instrument was considered valid, obtaining an Item-Level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) ≥ 0.88 for each item and a Scale-Level Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave) = 0.97. CONCLUSION: The Portuguese version of the Hemodialysis Safety Checklist presents valid content for use in Brazilian hemodialysis.

N-fertilization of tropical pastures improves performance but not methane emission of Nellore growing bulls.

Grazing management and N-fertilizer have been reported to improve tropical forage productivity and quality, however, their effect on methane emission of grazing animals remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of increasing application rates of nitrogen (N) fertilization of Marandu palisadegrass under continuous stocking on intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, and enteric methane emissions of Nellore growing bulls. We hypothesized that changes in the forage nutritive value caused by N fertilization of pastures combined with adequate grazing management (e.g., greater crude protein [CP] and digestibility) would lead to an increase in animal productivity (e.g., greater average daily gain [ADG] and gain per area), and then, to a decrease in methane emission intensity. Treatments consisted of different annual application rates of nitrogen fertilization: 0, 75, and 150 kg N/ha using ammonium nitrate (32% N) as the nitrogen source. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three treatments and four replications (12 paddocks). Intake, digestibility, N balance, and methane emissions were measured in eight animals per treatment. CP intake, digestibility and N balance increased linearly with the increase in N fertilization (P < 0.05). In addition, stocking rate (SR) and ADG linearly increased from 1.75 animal unit (AU = 450 kg)/ha and 0.62 kg/d (0 kg N/ha) to 3.75 AU/ha and 0.82 kg/d (150 kg N/ha), respectively. Individual methane emissions nor methane emission intensity were affected by treatment with an average of 164.7 g/d and 199.7 g/kg ADG (P > 0.05). Annual N fertilization with ammonium nitrate between 75 and 150 kg N/ha in palisadegrass pastures under continuous stocking enhances animal performance per unit area yet not affecting neither methane production nor intensity.

The availability of nitrogen in the soil is one of the main factors that can affect plant growth and characteristics. Nitrogen fertilization is a tool to increase the efficiency in the productive responses of grazing beef cattle, reconciling the greater production per area, reduction of the production cycle, maximization of the use of nutrients, with the maintenance of the system sustainability by enhancing animal production indexes. The present study evaluated performance and methane production of Nellore growing bulls grazing continuously stocked Marandu palisadegrass fertilized with three rates of ammonium nitrate (0, 75, and 150 kg N/ha). Although nitrogen fertilization did not affect individual methane production, both stocking rate and average daily gain linearly increased as fertilization rate increased, thus increasing the beef productivity.