Validation of a Portuguese version of the Groningen radiotherapy-induced xerostomia questionnaire

Background: The aim of this study was to validate and determine at pretest level the reliability of the Portuguese version of the Groningen radiotherapy-induced xerostomia questionnaire. Material and methods: This study employed 37 head and neck cancer patients. Each patient signed an informed consent and responded to the Portuguese version of the questionnaire in the form of an interview. This was repeated again after 2 weeks. A standard single question provided a validity check. Data were analyzed using Cronbach's α to test its reliability and total and interitem correlation, and intraclass correlation to determine its internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Construct validity supported by objective measurements as salivary secretion was also investigated. Significance was set at .05. Results: Cronbach's α was 0.91 and 0.89 for the first and second test administrations, respectively, which indicates that the internal consistency was excellent. The intraclass correlation coefficient value for the test-retest reliability was 0.70. The correlation between the total score of the questionnaire and standard single dry mouth question was 0.72 for the first round, indicating a good correlation. Conclusions: Demonstrating very good psychometric properties, the Portuguese version of the Groningen radiotherapy-induced xerostomia questionnaire is a valid tool and can be considered a reliable instrument to measure xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients. (AU)

Nutritional value of sorghum silage of different purposes / Valor nutritivo da silagem de sorgo de diferentes propósitos

ABSTRACT Sorghum is a crop that stands out as an alternative to corn due to lower soil fertility demand and increased tolerance to drought. Lack of information about the qualitative behaviour of sorghum hinders the recommendation of different purpose sorghum cultivars. The goal was to evaluate the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of different purpose sorghum cultivar silages, at two cropping seasons. The trial was conducted at the Plant Production Department, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia, Colorado do Oeste campus, and chemical analyses and in vitro incubation were performed at the Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá campus. The experimental design was a randomized block with a split-plot arrangement and four replications. Plot treatments consisted of six different purpose sorghum cultivars (BRS 308 and BRS 310, grain sorghum; BR 655 and BRS 610, forage sorghum; and BRS 506 and CMSXS 647, sweet sorghum). Split-plot treatments consisted of two cropping periods (first crop and second crop). Forage sorghum cultivar BRS 655 demonstrated higher non-fiber carbohydrate content and lower potentially digestible fibre content than the other cultivars did. Sweet sorghum cultivars had higher levels of water soluble carbohydrates and non-protein nitrogen based on protein, lower indigestible neutral detergent fibre content at second crop, and higher in vitro dry matter digestibility than the other cultivars. The silages of sweet sorghum cultivars BRS 506 and CMSXS 647, and forage sorghum cultivar BRS 655 presented higher nutritional values.

RESUMO O sorgo é uma cultura que se destaca como alternativa ao milho devido a menor exigência em fertilidade do solo e maior tolerância ao déficit hídrico. A falta de informações quanto ao comportamento qualitativo dificulta a recomendação de cultivares de sorgo de diferentes propósitos. Objetivou-se avaliar a composição bromatológica e a digestibilidade in vitro da silagem de cultivares de sorgo de diferentes propósitos, em duas épocas de cultivo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, com os tratamentos dispostos em esquema de parcela subdividida, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos da parcela corresponderam a seis híbridos de sorgo de diferentes propósitos (BRS 308 e BRS 310, graníferos; BR 655 e BRS 610, forrageiros; BR 506 e CMSXS 647, sacarinos). Os tratamentos da subparcela corresponderam a duas épocas de cultivo (primeira safra e segunda safra). A cultivar de sorgo forrageiro BRS 655 apresentou maior teor de carboidratos não fibrosos e menor teor de fibra potencialmente digestível. As cultivares de sorgo sacarino obtiveram os maiores teores de carboidratos solúveis, os menores teores de fibra insolúvel em detergente neutro indigestível na segunda safra, e as maiores digestibilidades in vitro da matéria seca. As silagens de sorgo sacarino e de sorgo forrageiro BRS 655 apresentam maior valor nutritivo.

Produção de massa seca e vigor de rebrotação da Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu submetida a diferentes doses de nitrogênio e freqüências de cortes / Production of dry mass and regrowth vigor of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu assigned to differents nitrogen levels and frequencies harvest

O experimento foi disposto no delineamento em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial, visando avaliar o efeito do nitrogênio (zero, 45, 90, 180 e 360 mg dm-3 de nitrogênio - N) e de freqüências de corte (14 e 28 dias) sobre a produção da massa seca total e o vigor da rebrotação da Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, em vasos, em casa-de-vegetação, com três repetições por tratamento. Todas as fontes de variação (doses de nitrogênio, freqüência de corte e a interação entre eles) tiveram efeito estatisticamente significativo, positivo e negativo sobre a produção de massa seca total, respectivamente, para as doses de N e freqüência de corte. No estudo do vigor de rebrotação (produção corte-1), a interação dos cortes e as doses de nitrogênio não foram significativas (P>0,01) pelo teste de Wilks. O efeito das doses de nitrogênio dentro de cada corte, tanto para desfolhações freqüentes, como para desfolhações menos freqüentes, proporcionou incremento no vigor de rebrotação, com o aumento do suprimento de N (P<0,01).

The experiment was disposed in a randomized blocks design, in a factorial scheme, with the objective to evaluate of effect of the nitrogen levels (0, 45, 90, 180 and 360 mg dm-3 of nitrogen - N) and frequencies of harvests (14 and 28 days) under the production of total dry mass and the regrowth vigor of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, in pots, in a greenhouse, with three repetitions by treatment. All of the variations sources (nitrogen levels, frequencies of harvests and the interactions between them) had effect statistically significative, positive and negative under the production of total dry mass, respectively, for the N levels and the frequencies of harvest. In the study of the regrowth vigor (production harvest-1), the interaction of the harvests and the nitrogen levels were not significative (P<0,01) by the Wilks test. The effect off the nitrogen levels inside of each harvest as much as frequents defoliations, how for less frequents defoliations, provided increment in regrowth vigor with the increase in the supply of N.