Work objective in emergency wards: professionals' conceptions

This qualitative case study aimed to analyze how health team professionals perceive the work objective in one emergency unit. The place of study was a hospital emergency ward in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection was conducted through observation and semi-structured interview. The results disclose the divergence between the health needs that make users seek health care in the emergency ward; and the work objective at that ward as highlighted by the professionals. The work team shows dissatisfaction due to the excessive search for care that cannot be classified as emergency, highlighting the number of attendances as a justification for resistance to perform the work and lack of commitment in care production.Se trata de un estudio cualitativo, del tipo estudio de caso, que tuvo como objetivo analizar las concepciones de los profesionales del equipo de salud acerca de la finalidad del trabajo en una unidad de atención a las urgencias y emergencias. El campo de estudio fue una unidad hospitalaria de atención a las urgencias y emergencias del interior del Estado de Río Grande del Sur. Las técnicas para recolección de datos fueron la observación y la entrevista semiestructurada. Los resultados apuntan para la divergencia entre las necesidades de la salud que llevan a los usuarios a buscar la unidad y la finalidad del trabajo del local destacada por los profesionales. El equipo de salud revela insatisfacción con la búsqueda excesiva del servicio por pacientes, cuyas necesidades no pueden ser clasificadas como urgencia o emergencia, apuntando el número de atenciones como justificativa para la resistencia en realizar el trabajo y para la falta de compromiso con la producción del cuidado.Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, do tipo estudo de caso, que teve como objetivo analisar as concepções dos profissionais da equipe de saúde acerca da finalidade do trabalho em uma unidade de atendimento às urgências e emergências. O campo de estudo foi uma unidade hospitalar de atendimento às urgências e emergências do interior do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. As técnicas para coleta de dados foram observação e entrevista semiestruturada. Os resultados apontam a divergência entre as necessidades de saúde que levam os usuários a procurar a unidade e a finalidade do trabalho do local destacada pelos profissionais. A equipe de saúde revela insatisfação com a procura excessiva de pacientes, cujas necessidades não podem ser classificadas como urgência ou emergência, apontando o número de atendimentos como justificativa para a resistência em realizar o trabalho e o descompromisso com a produção do cuidado

Photosynthesis by six portuguese maize cultivars during drought stress and recovery

Photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf water parameters were measured in six Portuguese maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars during and following a period of drought stress. The leaf relative water content (RWC) responded differently among cultivars but, except for cultivar PB369, recovered close to initial values after watering was restored. Photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance decreased with drought but more slowly in cultivars PB269 and PB260 than in cultivars AD3R, PB64, PB304 and PB369. Water use efficiency (WUE) decreased during the water stress treatment although with cultivar PB260 the decrease was marked only when the RWC fell below 40%. Recovery of WUE was seen with all cultivars except PB369. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II, the photochemical quenching coefficient, the electron transport rate in PSII and the estimated functional plastoquinone pool tended to decrease with drought, while the non -photochemical quenching coefficient increased. The parameters estimated from chlorophyll fluorescence did not recover in PB369, during re - watering. The results show that PB260 and PB269 were the most tolerant and PB369 was the least tolerant cultivars to water stress. The variation found amongst the cultivars tested suggests the existence of valuable genetic resources for crop improvement in relation to drought tolerance

Comparative genetic analysis: the utility of mouse genetic systems for studying human monogenic disease

One of the long-term goals of mutagenesis programs in the mouse has been to generate mutant lines to facilitate the functional study of every mammalian gene. With a combination of complementary genetic approaches and advances in technology, this aim is slowly becoming a reality. One of the most important features of this strategy is the ability to identify and compare a number of mutations in the same gene, an allelic series. With the advent of gene-driven screening of mutant archives, the search for a specific series of interest is now a practical option. This review focuses on the analysis of multiple mutations from chemical mutagenesis projects in a wide variety of genes and the valuable functional information that has been obtained from these studies. Although gene knockouts and transgenics will continue to be an important resource to ascertain gene function, with a significant proportion of human diseases caused by point mutations, identifying an allelic series is becoming an equally efficient route to generating clinically relevant and functionally important mouse models