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Tupanviruses, members of the family Mimiviridae , infect phagocytic cells. Particle uncoating begins inside the phagosome, with capsid opening via the stargate. The mechanism through which this opening takes place is unknown. Once phagocytized, metal ion flux control and ROS are induced to inactivate foreign particles, including viruses. Here, we studied the effect of iron ions, copper ions, and H 2 O 2 on Tupanvirus particles. Such treatments induced stargate opening in vitro , as observed by different microscopy techniques. Metal-treated viruses were found to be non-infectious, leading to the hypothesis that stargate opening likely resulted in the release of the viral seed, which is required for infection initiation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of a giant virus capsid morphological change induced by transition metals and H 2 O 2 , which may be important to describe new virulence factors and capsid uncoating mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Population growth combined with the need for electrical energy resulted in the construction of hundreds of hydroelectric plants in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The consequence of these interventions was the fragmentation of rivers, forming barriers, that hinder the mobility of migratory fish species, generating an impact on the life cycle of these species, especially about movement between breeding and feeding areas. For this reason, this article aimed to evaluate the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding dams, free stretches, and migratory species in the three main river basins of the state of São Paulo and its tributaries. Through a systematic review from 2003 to 2023, 89 articles were obtained, 48 of which were about dams, 5 which addressed fish transposition systems, and 36 portraying migratory species. In the first half, research focused more on the impacts of dams on fish fauna, while in the second half of the period studied, studies of migratory fish were dominant. Most research was conducted in the main rivers, with few in the tributaries. Finally, 16 migratory species, considered long-distance, were studied, the most studied being P. lineatus, P. maculatus, L. friderici, M. obtusidens and S. hilarri and the ones that occurred most frequently in rivers are Prochilodus lineatus, Pimelodus maculatus, Megaleporinus obtusidens and Salminus hilarii. Therefore, we recommend maintaining the natural flow regime that still exists in the main rivers and tributaries of the state of São Paulo, to maintain healthy populations of the inventoried species.

Background: Giant viruses have brought new insights into different aspects of virus-cell interactions. The resulting cytopathic effects from these interactions are one of the main aspects of infection assessment in a laboratory routine, mainly reflecting on the morphological features of an infected cell., Objectives: In this work, we follow the entire kinetics of the cytopathic effect in cells infected by viruses of the Mimiviridae family, spatiotemporally quantifying typical features such as cell roundness, loss of motility, decrease in cell area and cell lysis., Methods: Infections by Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV), Tupanvirus (TPV) and M4 were carried out at multiplicity of infection (MOI) 1 and MOI 10 in Acanthamoeba castellanii. Monitoring of infections was carried out using time lapse microscopy for up to 72 hours. The images were analyzed using ImageJ software., Findings: The data obtained indicate that APMV is the slowest virus in inducing the cytopathic effects of rounding, decrease in cell area, mobility and cell lysis. However, it is the only virus whose MOI increase accelerates the lysis process of infected cells. In turn, TPV and M4 rapidly induce morphological and behavioral changes., Main Conclusions: Our results indicate that mimiviruses induce different temporal responses within the host cell and that it is possible to use these kinetic data to facilitate the understanding of infection by these viruses.

Objectives: To build a specialized nursing terminology for the care of people with respiratory diseases and Covid-19 or who have respiratory diseases after Covid-19, based on ICNP®., Method: Methodological study developed in two stages: (1) identification of the relevant concepts for the health priority chosen from the literature; (2) cross-mapping of the identified concepts with the concepts contained in ICNP® version 2019/2020., Results: 9460 terms were extracted from the literature, of which 4065 terms were excluded because they were not related to the object of study and 5395 were submitted to the mapping technique, resulting in 290 constant terms in the ICNP® and 5134 non-constant terms. The constant terms were classified into the following axes: 120 in the Focus axis, 13 in Judgment, 48 in Action, 23 in Location, 38 in Means, eight in Time and one in Client. In addition, 36 nursing diagnoses/outcomes and three nursing interventions were mapped., Conclusion: The terminology will support the quality of care provided by the nursing team and the manual and electronic recording of patient data.

Objectives: to validate the content and appearance of a booklet to promote the health of people with diabetes mellitus in the face of COVID-19., Methods: a methodological study, carried out in a virtual environment with experts who had practical and scientific experience in diabetes mellitus, from November 2021 to February 2022. Data were analyzed using the Content Validity Ratio., Results: twenty-seven experts from different states of Brazil and with different academic backgrounds participated in the study. In content validity, reviews were suggested in items in relation to objectives and structure, in appearance validity, adjustments in layout were suggested., Conclusions: the results showed that the booklet achieved adequate content and appearance validity rates. Therefore, when adapting to experts' suggestions, it becomes an accurate tool.

Background: Motor vehicle crash (MVC) is a major public health problem worldwide and contributes to a large burden of death, disability, and economic loss., Objective: To identify the predictors of hospital readmission in victims of MVC within 1 year after discharge., Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted with individuals who suffered MVC admitted to a regional hospital and who were followed up for 12 months after discharge. Predictors of hospital readmission were verified by means of Poisson regression models with robust variance, using a hierarchical conceptual model., Results: Of the 241 patients followed up, 200 were contacted and comprised the population of this study. Of these, 50 (25.0%) reported hospital readmission during the 12-month period after discharge. It was evidenced that being male (relative risk [RR] = 0.58; 95% CI [0.36, 0.95], p = .033) was a protective factor, whereas occurrences of greater severity (RR = 1.77; 95% CI [1.03, 3.02], p = .036), not receiving pre-hospital care (RR = 2.14; 95% CI [1.24, 3.69], p = .006), the occurrence of postdischarge infection (RR = 2.14; 95% CI [1.37, 3.36], p = .001), and having access to rehabilitation treatment (RR = 1.64; 95% CI [1.03, 2.62], p≤ .001) are configured as risk factors for hospital readmission in individuals who have suffered these events., Conclusion: It was found that gender, trauma severity, pre-hospital care, postdischarge infection, and rehabilitation treatment variables predict hospital readmission in MVC victims within 1 year after discharge., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest or funding to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Society of Trauma Nurses.)

The Salmonella enterica bacteriophage P22 is one of the most promising models for the development of virus-like particle (VLP) nanocages. It possesses an icosahedral T = 7 capsid, assembled by the combination of two structural proteins: the coat protein (gp5) and the scaffold protein (gp8). The P22 capsid has the remarkable capability of undergoing structural transition into three morphologies with differing diameters and wall-pore sizes. These varied morphologies can be explored for the design of nanoplatforms, such as for the development of cargo internalization strategies. The capsid proteic nature allows for the extensive modification of its structure, enabling the addition of non-native structures to alter the VLP properties or confer them to diverse ends. Various molecules were added to the P22 VLP through genetic, chemical, and other means to both the capsid and the scaffold protein, permitting the encapsulation or the presentation of cargo. This allows the particle to be exploited for numerous purposes-for example, as a nanocarrier, nanoreactor, and vaccine model, among other applications. Therefore, the present review intends to give an overview of the literature on this amazing particle.

Objectives: to construct and validate an instrument to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to pressure injury prevention among caregivers of institutionalized older people., Methods: this is a three-stage methodological study that consisted of instrument construction, analysis by experts, and semantic and appearance analysis, with 78 participants, observing the validation process steps for psychometric instruments in the criteria of clarity and relevance., Results: in the Delphi I round, the validity index of the general content in the clarity criterion was 0.66, in relevance 0.85, and the Kappa value was >0.76. In Delphi II, clarity was 0.95, relevance 1.00, and the Kappa value was >0.97., Conclusions: this is a valid instrument in terms of content and appearance, which allows further analysis of its reliability for the measurement of the constructs for which it is intended. Therefore, it can be considered a tool for care management in pressure injury prevention.

Objective: To measure the impact of exposure to patients using carbapenem on the acquisition of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) among patients not using carbapenems., Design: An ecological study and a cohort study., Setting: Two medical surgical intensive care units (ICUs) in inner Brazil., Participants: Patients admitted to 2 ICUs from 2013 through 2018 to whom carbapenem was not prescribed., Methods: In the ecologic study, the monthly use of carbapenems (days of therapy [DOT] per 1,000 patient days) was tested for linear correlation with the 2-month moving average of incidence CR-GNB among patients to whom carbapenem was not prescribed. In the cohort study, those patients were addressed individually for risk factors (demographics, invasive interventions, use of antimicrobials) for acquisition of CR-GNB, including time at risk and the "carbapenem pressure," described as the aggregate DOT among other ICU patients during time at risk. The analysis was performed in univariate and multivariable Poisson regression models., Results: The linear regression model revealed an association of total carbapenem use and incidence of CR-GNB (coefficient, 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.06; P = .001). In the cohort model, the adjusted rate ratio (RR) for carbapenem DOT was 1.009 (95% CI, 1.001-1.018; P = .03). Other significant risk factors were mechanical ventilation and the previous use of ceftazidime (with or without avibactam)., Conclusions: Every additional DOT of total carbapenem use increased the risk of CR-GNB acquisition by patients not using carbapenems by nearly 1%. We found evidence for a population ("herd effect"-like) impact of antimicrobial use in the ICUs.

This article analyzes the decision for the Interfederative Health Consortium (CIS) model as an alternative for the management of a hospital of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) in Bahia, Brazil. Agreements were reviewed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with key actors at the central level of the Bahia State Health Department (Sesab) and the CIS Northeast II. The findings were analyzed considering the theoretical framework of neo-institutionalism, emphasizing the characterization of the historical and political-institutional context within the SUS, the actors involved in decision making, and the rules and guidelines of both institutions, Sesab and the CIS. The results showed the decision was predominantly guided by political motivations of state and municipal executives, based on the purpose of decentralizing the management of health actions and services and regionalization, with predominant actions of actors linked with the government and incipient participation of the technical area of the Sesab. Also, in convergence with the theoretical framework adopted, there were rules and guidelines inherent to both institutions, Sesab and CIS, which contributed to the adoption of the model and other elements of the historical context that also affected the decision-making process. This study contributed to a better understanding of the operationalization logic of hospital care management in SUS Bahia, with its multiple factors, stimulating the development of new investigations about management models in SUS. reduction of the burden and costs of hospital admission due to neglected tropical diseases in the state.

Background: Multimorbidity can influence intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19)., Objective: To analyze the association between multimorbidity, ICU admissions, and deaths due to COVID-19 in Brazil., Design and Setting: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) due to COVID-19 recorded in the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (SIVEP-Gripe) in 2020., Methods: Descriptive and stratified analyses of multimorbidity were performed based on sociodemographic, ventilatory support, and diagnostic variables. Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratios., Results: We identified 671,593 cases of SARS caused by COVID-19, of which 62.4% had at least one morbidity. Multimorbidity was associated with male sex, age 60-70 and ≥ 80 years, brown and black skin color, elementary education and high school, ventilatory support, and altered radiologic exams. Moreover, all regions of the country and altered computed tomography due to COVID-19 or other diseases were associated with death; only the northeast region and higher education were associated with ICU admission., Conclusion: Our results showed an association between multimorbidity, ICU admission, and death in COVID-19 patients in Brazil.

Objective: To analyze the self-care activities of elderly people with diabetes mellitus and its correlation with the nurse-patient interpersonal relationship., Methods: Cross-sectional quantitative study, with 144 elderly people followed up in Family Health Units, with data collected by the Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire and Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire in Nursing Care, being analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics., Results: There was a greater accomplishment of the activities Take insulin injections as recommended (6.74), Take diabetes medications as recommended (6.55) and Take the indicated number of diabetes pills (6.52). The interpersonal relationship showed moderate effectiveness (80.6%). The correlation between self-care with diabetes and interpersonal relationships showed a positive and significant value in the dimension Specific feeding., Conclusion: The effectiveness of the interpersonal relationship in nursing care resulted in greater compliance with activities related to specific food.

The females of Mansonia are voraciously hematophagous. The spiracular apparatus of the immature, larval, and pupal forms is adapted to perforate submerged aquatic vegetation, from whose aeriferous aerenchyma they obtain the oxygen necessary for breathing. The proliferation of aquatic plants, in some cases linked to anthropic modifications that reduce water flow and/or increase organic matter content, may therefore contribute to the spread of these mosquitoes. This study aims to assess the presence of immature individuals of Mansonia in different aquatic plants of the Madeira River basin in 10 lentic and lotic environments and correlate their population density with abiotic factors such as water pH, dissolved O2, conductivity, and temperature. The sampling lasted from February 2016 to June 2018, a 29-month period during which 31,287 specimens belonging to the genus Mansonia were captured. Of the 12 species of macrophytes inspected, Eichhornia crassipes made up 70.1% of the samples. Lentic environments accounted for 58.9% of the samples and lotic environments for 41.1%. Immature individuals were most commonly found on Eichhornia crassipes, with this plant accounting for an average of 96.2% of all individuals, with a percentage ranging between 58.2% and 77.1% in different breeding areas. Only at the Foz do Igarapé Jirau site was a different distribution observed, with the number of aquatic plants more nearly equal: 83.3% of the larvae were found in Eichhornia crassipes, 9.2% in Ceratopteris pteridoides, 3.6% in E. azurea, 2.0% in Salvinia sp., and 1.9% in Pistia sp. The greatest richness was found in Iguapé do Raul. Concerning the larval/plant relationship, although less frequent, E. azurea had a higher larval density of Mansonia spp. It is important to emphasize that this finding may indicate a possible selection for this plant. Egg deposition by Mansonia spp. was more abundant in sample areas with Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia sp. The number of specimens collected was positively correlated with temperature, pH, and conductivity. These correlations showed a marked increase in the rainy season. Therefore, we were able to establish preliminary parameters of how environmental changes influence the ecology of this important genus of mosquitoes, the species of which are critical disease vectors., (Copyright © 2021 by The American Mosquito Control Association, Inc.)

Introduction: Teachers belong to a risk group for the onset of musculoskeletal disorders, which may be justified by some work-related factors, with a direct impact on their lives., Objectives: To evaluate the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders among elementary school teachers in Jequié, state of Bahia, Brazil, and to investigate the association of these disorders with sociodemographic, occupational, organizational and health variables., Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study with a sample of 304 elementary school teachers in Jequié. A standardized collection instrument was applied and the instrument data were analyzed using descriptive statistics procedures, with prevalence ratios and 95% confidence interval., Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was 24.3% for any of the body segments, 15.5% for the back, 16.1% for the upper limbs and 12.5% for the lower limbs. There was a statistically significant association between musculoskeletal disorders and female sex, older age, black, brown and red skin, time working as a teacher of more than 14 years, presence of comorbidities, irregular sleeping pattern, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and a regular lifestyle., Conclusions: Teachers presented a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in upper limbs, back, and lower limbs. In addition, associations with the investigated factors demonstrate that inadequate teaching conditions contribute negatively to teachers' health., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None

Objective: to clinically validate the nursing diagnosis of NANDA-I Frail Elderly Syndrome in hospitalized elderly., Method: a methodological study, guided by the STROBE instrument, composed of 40 elderly people admitted to a teaching hospital in Paraíba, Brazil. The last phase of Hoskins' Nursing Diagnostic Validation Model: clinical validation was adopted. Data collection took place from August to December 2018. The data were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics. It was approved by the hospital's ethics and research committee., Results: nine defining characteristics were validated; seven risk factors; six populations at risk and two associated conditions., Conclusion: the validation of the nursing diagnosis of the Frail Elderly Syndrome in our socio-cultural context was considered appropriate, being an important step for critical thinking that underlies the decision-making of nurses in the care of the frail elderly, as well as professional practice.

Objective: to verify the validity of indicators' content referring to the instrument for data collection in children aged 0 to 5 years hospitalized in a pediatric clinic., Method: a cross-sectional methodological study was carried out with 11 experts between January and May 2018. For data collection, the steps for validating the instrument's content were respected. For data analysis, Content Validity Index and Kappa agreement analysis were used., Results: after content analysis, a Content Validity Index of 0.94 and Kappa 0.71 was issued according to the experts' suggestions 81.9%. Therefore, the instrument was suitable for applicability., Conclusion: the instrument proved to be valid in terms of content for pediatric care, contributing significantly to improving care for hospitalized children aged 0 to 5 years.

This paper analyzes the government's strategic agenda for coping with COVID-19 in Brazil, focusing on hospital care. Twenty-eight Contingency Plans were analyzed in full, one national, 26 at state level, and one from the Federal District. The Public Policy Cycle's theoretical framework was used, specifically governmental pre-decision and decision to face the pandemic. The evidence revealed convergences between the national and state levels concerning proposals for reorienting care flow, detecting cases, and indicating referral hospitals. However, the state agendas revealed weaknesses in acquiring mechanical ventilation devices, sizing human resources, and regionalizing hospital care. Moreover, few states have established a method for calculating back-end beds, mainly regarding the outlook of opening hospitals of reference or contracting additional ICU beds. We can conclude that the heterogeneous actions explained in the plans show the complex process of coping with COVID-19 in Brazil with its regional inequalities, weaknesses in the state health systems, and reduced coordination by the Ministry of Health.

Objective: To reveal the Comfort needs as perceived by hospitalized elders, using Kolcaba's theory., Methods: Descriptive and qualitative study, with 11 elders hospitalized in a university hospital, aiming to identify their needs for Comfort., Results: Discourses were categorized in four thematic units: Physical, Environmental, Sociocultural, and Psychospiritual. In the Physical context, several subcategories were found, namely, Symptom Relief; Daily Life Activities; Hygiene and personal care; Diet; Sleep and rest. In the Environmental context, the Comfort was considered to be superior than in the elders' home; in the Sociocultural one, family bonds were found to become more distant, triggering feelings of missing one's family and isolation, in the Psychospiritual context, spirituality and religiosity stood out., Final Considerations: The Comfort needs of the hospitalized elders enable one to reflect on nursing care, offering information to improve the quality of assistance and to attend to the real needs of the elderly.

Background: Short-term (ST) and long-term tunneled (LTT) central venous catheters for hemodialysis (CVCH) are critical for hemodialysis therapy. However, few studies have been conducted in Brazil to investigate the incidence of complications with these two types of catheters., Objectives: To analyze complications and duration of CVCH in a hemodialysis center at a teaching hospital., Methods: Single-center, longitudinal, and retrospective study of 115 consecutive patients undergoing hemodialysis catheter placement (67 ST and 48 LTT) over a 2-year period, analyzing overall survival, patency, loss of access, and incidence of complications., Results: Sixty percent of the patients were male and mean age was 62 years. The most common puncture site was the right internal jugular vein. Systemic arterial hypertension was present in 95% of cases. Median catheter in-place duration was 50 days (ST) vs. 112 days (LTT; p < 0.0001). There was no difference in overall survival. Incidence of catheter-related infection was higher in ST CVCH, with Staphylococcus sp. the microorganism most often found. The infection rate per 1000 days was higher in ST than in LTT catheters (16.7 events/1000 days vs. 7.0 events/1000 days). Low income was the only factor related to higher incidence of infection., Conclusions: The in-place duration of long-term catheters was significantly longer compared to short-term CVCH, but still below the values reported in the literature and without impact on overall survival. Low income was a factor associated with catheter infection., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest declared concerning the publication of this article.

We aimed to investigate the occurrence of CRISPR elements in the genomes of vancomycin-resistant (VRE) and vancomycin-susceptible (VSE) enterococci and their association with the presence of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. We analyzed 180 isolates, including 91 VRE and 89 VSE. Isolates were identified by PCR or MALDI-TOF. Antimicrobial susceptibility and MICs for vancomycin were determined by the disk-diffusion method and E-test®, respectively. The presence of resistance and virulence genes, as well as CRISPR elements, was investigated by PCR. We identified 95 (53%) E. faecalis, 78 (43%) E. faecium, five (2.8%) E. gallinarum, and one (0.6% each) E. casseliflavus and E. durans. The highest and the lowest non-susceptibility frequencies were observed for erythromycin (n = 152; 84.4%) and fosfomycin (n = 5; 2.8%), respectively. Most erythromycin-resistant isolates had the erm(B) gene (106/152; 69.7%). Of 118 (65.6%) isolates with high-level resistance to aminoglycoside, 69 (58.5%) had at least one aminoglycoside resistance gene, mostly ant(6)-Ia and aac(6')-Ie + aph(2″)-Ia. We found at least one virulence gene among 135 (75%) isolates, mostly gelE (79/180; 43.9%). Ninety-two (51.1%) isolates had at least one CRISPR element, especially CRISPR3 (62/92; 67.4%). CRISPR elements were more common among E. faecalis, in which we observed a relationship between the absence of CRISPR and the presence of the vanA resistance gene, and the hyl and esp virulence genes. Among VRE. faecium, a relationship was found between the absence of CRISPR and the hyl gene. In conclusion, we found evident associations between the lack of CRISPR elements with species, multidrug resistance, and major resistance- and virulence-associated genes., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the impact of work on nursing professionals' health., Method: This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study conducted with nurses from a university hospital in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Data were collected through interviews using an instrument to obtain sociodemographic data and health conditions and the Pleasure and Suffering Indicators at Work Scale (PSIWS)., Results: There were 152 nurses who participated. The Experience of Pleasure and its domains were rated as satisfactory, while Suffering Factors and their domains were critically evaluated. Statistically significant associations were observed (p≤0.05) between the indicators of pleasure and suffering and some health conditions, health problems and medication use., Conclusion: Satisfactory levels of pleasure were associated with better health conditions and critical levels of suffering were associated with worse health conditions.

Objective: Describe the construct validation process of the instrument "Nursing care for the assessment, prevention and treatment of cutaneous xerosis in the elderly"., Method: Methodological study carried out with 101 nurses in four hospitals in the great João Pessoa, between July and September 2018. Construct validation was performed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, in addition to the consistency check by Cronbach's alpha., Results: Through the factorial analysis, three factors of the instrument construct were defined: treatment performed for cutaneous xerosis, preventive care for cutaneous xerosis and skin evaluation, with a total explanation variance of 47.77%. In Bartlett's sphericity test, p <0.001 was obtained, and the general Cronbach's alpha was 0.811., Conclusion: The instrument proved to be valid and reliable, contributing to the training and practice of nurses as an integral part in the process of caring for the elderly.

Introduction: Empathy is a complex human experience that involves the subjective intersection of different individuals. In the context of nursing care in the geriatric setting, the benefits of empathetic relationships are directly related to the quality of the practice of nursing., Objective: Analyze scientific production on the benefits of empathy in the nurse-patient relationship in the geriatric care setting., Methods: An integrative review of the literature was performed using the PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases. The articles retrieved were organized, evaluated, and classified based on the level of scientific evidence., Results: Relationships of empathy between nurses and older people were analyzed in quasi-experimental studies using different assessment tools, the majority of which had moderate levels of validity and reliability. Studies with a qualitative approach discussed the meaning of empathy in terms of the quality of care offered, compassion, and vulnerability., Discussion: Levels of empathy increase when activities are developed with the aim of teaching, sensitization, and training for relational care between nursing staff and older people. The analysis of empathetic relationships is important to the evaluation of the quality of care provided to older people., Conclusion: Empathy in the nurse-patient relationship in the geriatric care setting is an important ethical aspect that contributes to the quality of the practice of nursing. The present findings indicate the need for more robust assessment tools with adequate psychometric properties and the descriptive analysis of empathy.

Objective: To assess the risk of falls in hospitalized elderly people., Method: Cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, carried out at University Hospital of the State of Paraíba. The sample consisted of 284 elderly subjects interviewed from April to October 2016. The Morse Fall Scale was used to evaluate the risk of falls., Results: Elderly males (52.5%) aged between 60 and 69 years old (58.1%) and who were not literate (38.7%), prevailed. It was verified that 45% of the sample presented a high risk of falls. The secondary diagnosis and the use of intravenous therapy were the criteria that obtained a higher percentage of elderly at risk. Diuretics (p≤0.032), urinary incontinence (p≤0.001), visual deficit (p≤0.001) and heart failure (p≤0.001) were significantly associated with the high risk of falls., Conclusion: The use of specific tools in the prevention of falls allows the improvement in the quality of assistance based on scientific evidence, allowing effective intervention and potentiating patient safety.

Objective: To report the development of a nursing consultation software for hypertensive users of the Family Health Strategy., Method: Applied methodological research based on Roger Pressman's Software Engineering, developed in three cycles: planning, composed of the definition of the database prototyping and modelling; development of the navigation interface; and development of functional expressions and programming., Result: The software consists of administrative and nursing consultation screens. In the history, there is the option of undertaking the first and next consultation; nursing diagnoses are suggested by the system after entering information and can be selected by nurses. Interventions for diagnoses are suggested and can be chosen by nurses after structuring the medical plan., Conclusion: It is believed that the introduction of computer technology for nursing consultation brings several contributions, such as standardization, integration with different information systems, and continuous update.

In the present work, we have designed MgCl2/clay/internal donor (ID)/TiCl4 based bisupported Ziegler-Natta catalysts containing varying amounts of organoclay (montmorillonite) in order to synthesize spherical particles of polypropylene/clay nanocomposites (PCN). The organoclay was introduced into the catalyst support formulation and PCN was obtained using the in situ polymerization technique. Decreasing the reaction time, it was possible to obtain nanocomposites with high concentrations of clay (masterbatches). Micrographs of SEM confirmed the spherical morphology of the catalysts. In addition, XRD patterns show that the active sites for polymerization were inserted in the clay galleries. The catalytic performance was evaluated in slurry propylene polymerization using triethylaluminium as cocatalyst and silane as external electron donor at 70 °C, 4 bar, and different reaction times. The PCNs obtained containing different clay amounts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, transmission electronic microscopy, and extractables in heptane. The results revealed that the synthesized PP/clay particles were also spherical showing that the morphological control is possible even using catalysts containing high amounts of clay. The PCN presented high degradation temperature (459 °C). The XRD peak related to the clay interlamellar distance has shifted to lower angles, and TEM images confirmed the formation of exfoliated/intercalated clay on the PP matrix and absence of microparticles of clay.

Objective: to describe sociodemographic aspects and time evolution of mortality due to suicide among elderly individuals in Bahia State, Brazil, from 1996 to 2013., Methods: time series descriptive and ecological study, with data from the Mortality Information System (SIM); Prais-Winsten regression was used for trend analysis and to calculate annual percent change (APC)., Results: 858 deaths due to suicide were identified in elderly in Bahia; 85.4% were men, and 53.8% were in the 60-69 age group; 64.3% of deaths resulted from hanging/strangulation, followed by self-poisoning by pesticides and chemical products (13.1%); there was an increasing trend in suicide mortality rate in the general elderly population (APC 11.0; 95%CI 6.9;15.3) and in the male sex (APC 12.1; 95%CI 7.1;17.3), whilst in the female population it remained stable., Conclusion: in Bahia, mortality due to suicide among elderly individuals presented an increasing trend in the period studied and was higher among males.

Objective: To analyze the association between sociodemographic and clinical conditions with the quality of life related to health of heart failure patients., Method: Cross-sectional study with a non-random sample of 84 outpatients with heart failure, performed in the city of João Pessoa, PB, Brazil, in the period from January to July 2015. The questionnaire by name Minnesota Living with Heart Questionnaire was used The following tests were applied in data analysis: t-Student, ANOVA and Pearson's Correlation, com a 5% significance level., Results: The average scores of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire showed a good quality of life in the group under study. There was a significant negative association between quality of life and age: thus the lower the age, the worse the quality of life., Conclusion: Health promotion actions become necessary to improve the coping capacity of this disease, especially for younger patients.