The Evolution of Professional Nursing Culture in Italy: Metaphors and Paradoxes

We explored the perceptions of Italian nurses regarding their developing culture as a health profession. We sought to understand the ongoing evolution of the nursing profession and the changes that were central to it becoming an intellectual discipline on par with the other health professions in Italy. In 2010, the Regulatory Board of Nursing established a center of excellence to build evidence-based practice, advocate for interdisciplinary health care, and champion health profession reforms for nursing. In this study, focus groups—involving 66 nurse participants from various educational, clinical, and administrative backgrounds—were utilized to better ascertain how the profession has changed. Six themes, three of them metaphors—“vortex,” “leopard spots,” and “deductive jungle”—explain nurses’ experiences of professional change in Italy between 2001 and 2011 and the multiple dimensions that characterize their professional identity and autonomy

Weight-length relationship, condition factor and blood parameters of farmed Cichla temensis Humboldt, 1821 (Cichlidae) in central Amazon.

Farming of native carnivore fish species has drawn attention due to their promising use in aquaculture. Among these species, tucunaré of the genus Cichla stand out, them being of high economical interest for sport fishing and Amazon's industry of ornamental fish. The present study describes the weight-length relationship (WLR), relative condition factor (Kn), red blood cell parameters, thrombocytes and leukocytes count of Cichla temensis Humboldt, 1821, farmed in central Amazon. Fish that underwent food training during fingerling culture received extruded ration containing 45% of crude protein during fattening, and had Kn with values from 0.925-1.199, which indicated good health condition during the culture. The equation obtained from the WLR was W = 0.0073Lt3.1435, indicating an isometric growth, which is the desirable for fish of fish farm. Red blood cell counts, total thrombocyte and leukocyte counts, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), concentration of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC), lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophils had intra-specific variation. A significant (p<0.001) positive correlation of the red blood cells number with the hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit was found. These are the first sets of blood parameters for C. temensis and could be used as reference for comparison in further studies to evaluate the health status of this fish in different environments, because assessment of these parameters may be used as quick tool for diagnosing diseases, stress and malnutrition

Toxicity and effects of copper sulfate on parasitic control and hematological response of tambaqui Colossoma macropomum.

The purpose of this work was to determine the mean lethal concentration (LC50-96h) of copper sulfate (CuSO4) for juveniles Colossoma macropomum (Characidae), to evaluate the effectiveness of different concentrations of CuSO4 on elimination of parasites, as well as to study the effects of CuSO4 on blood parameters after short-term exposure. After determination of the LC50-96h from 17.5 mg L-1 of CuSO4, it was investigated the effects of exposure for 48 h to 1.75, 4.37 and 8.75 mg L-1 of CuSO4, on parasites and blood parameters. In gills and skin, concentrations of 4.37 and 8.75 mg L-1 of CuSO4 eliminated Monogenoidea Anacanthorus spathulatus. In fish exposed to different concentrations of CuSO4, plasma total protein, chloride, potassium, glucose and copper levels, hemoglobin and hematocrit were similar to controls, whereas sodium levels presented decrease in fish exposed to 1.75 and 4.37 mg L-1. Red blood cell counts decreased in fish exposed to different three concentrations of CuSO4, while the Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) increased. However, exposure to 8.75 mg L-1 of CuSO4 caused decrease on total leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils and PAS-positive granular leukocytes (PAS-GL) number when compared to control fish

Myxobolus sp. (Myxozoa) in the circulating blood of Colossoma macropomum (Osteichthyes, Characidae).

Myxosporea parasitize many organs in fresh and saltwater fish. Species of the genus Myxobolus parasitizing the gills and other organs of the tambaqui Colossoma macropomum have been described. In the present study, blood smears were made from juvenile tambaqui and were stained with May Grunwald-Giemsa-Wright in order to identify myxozoan parasites. Out of a total of 36 fish examined, one specimen (2.7%) that was reared in a cage presented spores that were identified as M. colossomatis, whereas fish kept in 250 L tanks showed prevalence of 5.5%. This is the first report of M. colossomatis in the blood of farmed tambaqui in the Amazon region. These results indicate that myxozoan parasites should also be investigated in fish blood smears. Some myxosporean species may cause diseases in fish, and these species need to be identified so that adequate preventive sanitary control can be instituted

Parâmetros hematológicos do jacaré-tinga Caiman crocodilus crocodilus Linnaeus, 1758 (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae) da bacia do médio rio Negro, Amazonas, Brasil.

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Modelling Land Use Change in Brazil: 2000–2050

The input and output land cover dataset across all modelled time periods (2000-2050) and scenarios resulting from the work of the REDD-PAC project in Brazil. Please consult the data section of the REDD-PAC website (http://redd-pac.org/new_page.php?contents=data1.csv) to access a data visualization tool and to obtain the dataset in WFS format. This dataset can be accessed and displayed using GIS software such as QGIS. Please consult the metadata file for further instruction