Pattern of anuran infection by acanthocephalans from the Cerrado, Northeastern Brazil with a summary for South America.

In Brazil, acanthocephalans parasitise anurans in several biomes. In the present study, we performed an analysis of acanthocephalan infections across 175 anuran individuals from the Cerrado biome, belonging to ten species: Boana raniceps, Pithecopus hypochondrialis, Scinax fuscomarginatus, Scinax x-signatus, Leptodactylus pustulatus, Leptodactylus macrosternum, Leptodactylus vastus, Physalaemus cuvieri, Adenomera hylaedactyla, and Elachistocleis piauiensis. We also verified the specificity of the parasites using the STD* index. Additionally, we conducted a survey of acanthocephalan infection in anurans in South America. The studied assemblage in the Brazilian Cerrado presented 57 parasitised hosts of 175 specimens (overall prevalence: 32.6%). In total, 437 acanthocephalans cystacanths were recorded, among which 286 presented the same morphotype but could not be identified, 148 belonged to the genus Centrorhynchus, and three belonged to Oncicola. Unidentified acanthocephalans had a higher prevalence in L. vastus (53.85%) and the highest intensity was in L. pustulatus (17±16). The highest prevalence of Centrorhynchus sp. was in the species S. fuscomarginatus (28.57%), while the highest intensity was observed in L. vastus (111). The taxon Oncicola sp. it had a prevalence of 3.23% and an intensity of 3 only in S. x-signatus. The highest specificity was recorded for Oncicola sp. (STD*= 1), whereas the lowest was found in Centrorhynchus sp. (STD*= 2.21). Finally, according to the survey for South America, we found ten records of acanthocephalan taxa parasitizing 58 species of anurans distributed in seven countries (Brazil with the most records).

Effects of nutritional copper deficiency on adult non-pregnant and pregnant rats and their newborns.

The effects of nutritional copper deficiency on weight gain, food intake and fertility of pregnant and non-pregnant adult Wistar rats, and weight of newborns, were studied. The adult animals were subjected to diets with different copper content (control-5 ppm; moderate deficiency -1.2 ppm; severe deficiency -0.3 ppm) for six weeks (non-pregnant) and nine weeks (pregnant). No effect on weight gain or appetite was seen in the groups of animals subjected to copper deficiency. Fertility, as evaluated by the number of conceptuses and liverborns of the pregnant animals, and weight of newborns also, were not impaired. These data show that not only the extent of deficiency, but also the period during which it is imposed, as well as its duration, condition the appearance of alterations of this deficiency.

[Family relations and gender identity: a contribution to the care of expanding families]. / Relações familiares e identidade de gênero: uma contribuição para a assistência de enfermagem à família em expansão.

It approaches the influences of family relationship in the construction of the gender identity process, through the Theory of Objectal Relationship referential, proposed by Chorodow (1979). This theoretical support, emphasizes that the gender identity is basically influenced by the primary bonds established between child and adults, through the continuous personal relationship developing mother and father role. It points out that the gender construction for the boy and for the girl happens in a different way. It concludes pointing out some lines to be adopted by the nurse in the practice with families, as well as, some limitation of the Theory of Objectal Relationship.

["If we don't have a family, we don't have a life!" Conceptions of popular class families caregivers of frail elderly people]. / "...se a gente não tem família, não tem vida!" Concepções de famílias de classe popular cuidadoras de pessoa idosa fragilizada.

This research has a quality input that aims to reveal the concepts of popular class families caregivers of frail elderly people at their home, concerning the aspects that involve the meaning of care taking to the frail elderly in the family context. The methodology used is a case study of the ethnological kind. The data were collected by means of participant observation and interview with four families. Through the data analysis four themes related to the families conceptions were identified: the meaning of health-sicken, the meaning of family, the meaning of old age, the meaning of taking care of a frail elderly family member.

[Informatics in nursing practice: a new challenge for the nurse]. / A informática na prática de enfermagem: um novo desafio para o enfermeiro.

The study does a critical analysis about the nurse's insertion and role in the informatic applied to health. It brings up the importance of nurse's envolvement in the implantation projects of the automatized systems information, the necessity of acquiriment knowledge and control about this technology so that it can be used as a useful work instrument, aiding the decision process and rationalizing the work, with the main objective to improve the nursing practice.

[The computer as a support tool in nursing care and administration]. / O computador como instrumento de apoio na assistência e administração de enfermagem.

The introduction of informatic tools directed to the Assistence and Administration's support will be able to bring important benefits to Brazilian Nursing. Based on American literature the authors expose some specific applications of the computer in the assistence and administration's actives of nursing, demonstrating the various ways to these actives, in order otimize the assistence rended to the patient.

[The teaching of primary health care: diagnostic and educational evaluation by microcomputers]. / O ensino de atenção primária à saúde: avaliação diagnóstica e formativa através de microcomputadores.

The study aims to explore the utilization of the Formative Evaluation by the microcomputer in the teaching of primary attention to the health. The experiment is composed of eight modules, programmed in Basic software "Formative Evaluation". For each module, a "Question Bank" with three sorts of feedbacks was organized. The sample includes 16 subjects. The results show that the Formative Evaluation by Microcomputer proportioned to the students a cognitive domain significantly higher than the traditional instruction. However, it didn't provide a significantly superior performance to the students who experienced this system.

[Public health work and nursing: concepts of the managers of Porto Alegre health units]. / O trabalho em saúde coletiva e a enfermagem: concepções dos gerentes das unidades de saúde de Porto Alegre.

This is a descriptive study done in a qualitative perspective. It aims to describe the conceptions of health care units' managers about the work in public health. The subjects perceptions are that this work goes from interdisciplinary thought with a preventive focus to the curative practice of ambulatory care. On what concerns Nursing, nurses' management functions and auxiliaries assistance activities are pointed out. They believe that strategies to approximate to the SUS principles are necessary in the context of Public Health.

[Education in primary health care. Diagnostic evaluation of teaching using microcomputers]. / La educacion de cuidados primarios de salud. Avaluacion diagnostica y de la formacion mediante microcomputadores.

The use of microcomputers in medical education to assess the training process in Primary Health Care is analyzed. The experimental study consisted of 8 modules related to immunization campaigns, nursing care of healthy children, sanitation, nursing care of women, epidemiology and statistics, and nursing care of those diseases presenting the highest prevalence. The program is based on the basic software "Evaluation of Training", and designed in basic language. Each module consisted of a set of questions and each set had 3 different forms of feedback: the given form, the controlled form, and the form for searching. The independent variable of this investigation was the evaluation of training by microcomputers, and the dependent variable was the cognitive domain and development. The sample comprises 16 individuals studying on the eighth semester of a nursing course, and each group is made up by 8 students (a control group and an experimental group). Data obtained from this investigation were assessed by the test of nonparametric indicators. Results evidenced that the evaluation of training by a microcomputer provided a significantly higher performance in comparison with noncomputer assisted evaluation. Students were satisfied regarding the interaction with the microcomputer and with the performance of the evaluation. Further investigations in this field are recommended.