Clinical Supervision: Priority Strategy to a Better Health

We carried out a study with the aim to relate the implementation of a clinical supervision (CS) model with the supervised nurses’ answers to stress and the coping resources they use. 38 paired questionnaires with the Portuguese versions of the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale© (MCSS©) and the Brief Personal Survey© (BPS©) were obtained. SPSS© version 18.0 was used to treat data. MCSS© Cronbach's alpha value for the total score was 0,938 and BPS’© was 0,60. Several correlations were found. Our study pointed out that CS can optimize the nurses’ coping resources and help them to answer to stress.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clinical Supervision in Nursing: the (un)Known Phenomenon

To implement a clinical supervision model in nursing, we carry out an exploratory, descriptive and longitudinal study. We aim to publicize the results of its first phase which was focused on the chief nurses’ opinion on the clinical supervision on nursing (CSN) phenomenon. Interviews to all chief nurses (18) were conducted. Content analysis was used to data analysis. Themes and categories were found such as perspectives, relevance, conditions to CSN, among others. Results suggested that chief nurses need to improve their knowledge on CSN. However, it was clear what CSN is not or should not be to some of them.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Rash Decision. The Hazards of the Wrongful Use of Adrenaline

Anaphylaxis is life-threatening and should be addressed urgently. Its treatment is not without side effects and an accurate diagnosis must be made to prevent potential harm by the wrongful use of medication. A 46-year-old woman with hypertension treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) presented to the emergency department with non-pitting oedema of the face and limbs. A hasty diagnosis of anaphylaxis was made and intravenous adrenaline administered. The patient developed a myocardial infarction caused by coronary artery spasm that required invasive intervention. The initial clinical picture was resolved when the ACEI was discontinued unmasking a case of ACEI-induced angioedema. The correct differentiation of these two apparently similar clinical entities is of utmost importance in the management of emergency department patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Repeatability of traits evaluated in a split-plot or factorial experiment.

In this paper repeatability expressions are derived and their respective ANOVA estimators obtained by using split-plot and factorial models, both in a randomized complete block design. The paper also considers different fixed and random effect models and their assumptions and restrictions. Repeatability estimates, such as the correlation between successive measurements (over time) of the same genotype, always have the same value regardless of the model used, and this allows repeatability to be calculated using models based on the mean of the experimental units (mean of blocks) of each genotype in each time. This independence was not observed for repeatability estimates at the upper limit of broad-sense heritability based on the mean of successive measurements (over time) of the same genotype. The repeatability of traits evaluated in experimental trials of different designs is also discussed

Perceptions and knowledge regarding quality and safety of plastic materials used for food packaging

The objective of this study is to investigate the consumer perceptions about quality and safety of foods packed in plastic, as well as the impact of plastic materials on human health. To carry out the study, a questionnaire survey about the consumption habits and knowledge about plastic packaging was conducted to a sample of 487 Portuguese adult citizens. The results revealed that most respondents (81%) think about food safety and quality when purchasing foods. Additionally, it was found that the consumer’s knowledge about the toxicity of components possibly migrating from the plastic packaging to the food is still limited (only 46% of participants). However, other negative effects of plastics well known to consumers include environmental pollution and marine fauna degradation (67 and 82% of participants, respectively). Thus, it was concluded that the Portuguese population need to be further educated about the toxicity of some chemical compounds present in plastic packaging, which can be ingested by migrating to the food or which can be absorbed from the environmental microplastics resulting from incorrect disposal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

VIH e Doença Coronária - Quando a Prevenção Secundária É Insuficiente

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has created a new paradigm for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but their increased risk for coronary disease is well documented. We present the case of a 57-year-old man, co-infected with HIV-2 and hepatitis B virus, adequately controlled and with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia, who was admitted with non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography performed on day four of hospital stay documented two-vessel disease (mid segment of the right coronary artery [RCA, 90% stenosis] and the first marginal). Two drug-eluting stents were successfully implanted. The patient was discharged under dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin 100 mg/day and clopidogrel 75 mg/day) and standard coronary artery disease medication. He was admitted to the emergency room four hours after discharge with chest pain radiating to the left arm and inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction was diagnosed. Coronary angiography was performed within one hour and documented thrombosis of both stents. Optical coherence tomography revealed good apposition of the stent in the RCA, with intrastent thrombus. Angioplasty was performed, with a good outcome. The acute stent thrombosis might be explained by the thrombotic potential of HIV infection and diabetes. There are no specific guidelines regarding HAART in secondary prevention of acute coronary syndromes. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for optimal management of these patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New lower bound for the Hilbert number in low degree Kolmogorov systems

Our main goal in this paper is to study the number of small-amplitude isolated periodic orbits, so-called limit cycles, surrounding only one equilibrium point a class of polynomial Kolmogorov systems. We denote by $\mathcal M_{K}(n)$ the maximum number of limit cycles bifurcating from the equilibrium point via a degenerate Hopf bifurcation for a polynomial Kolmogorov vector field of degree $n$. In this work, we obtain another example such that $\mathcal M_{K}(3)\geq 6$. In addition, we obtain new lower bounds for $\mathcal M_{K}(n)$ proving that $\mathcal M_{K}(4)\geq 13$ and $\mathcal M_{K}(5)\geq 22$