High pressure Raman spectra of monoglycine nitrate single crystal.

Single crystal of monoglycine nitrate has been studied by Raman spectroscopy under high pressures up to 5.5 GPa. The results show changes in lattice modes in the pressure ranges of 1.1-1.6 GPa and 4.0-4.6 GPa. The first change occurs with appearance of bands related to the lattice modes as well as discontinuity in the slope of dΩ/dP of these modes. Moreover, bands associated with the skeleton of glycine suggest that the molecule undergoes conformational modifications. The appearance of a strong band at 55 cm(-1) point to a second phase transition associated with the lattice modes, while the internal modes remain unchanged. These anomalies are probably due to rearrangement of hydrogen bonds. Additionally, decompression to ambient pressure shows that the phase transitions are reversible. Finally, the results show that the nitrate anions play an important role on the stability of the monoglycine nitrate crystal.

[Hospital nursing service--introducing this silent giant]. / O serviço de enfermagem hospitalar-apresentando este gigante silencioso.

This article shows the importance of the nursing service in the health organizations. The metaphor "giant" will be used to describe the extent of this service, and the term "silent" will be used to refer to the little acknowledgment the nursing service receives from the community. The extent and complexity of the nursing assistance is vital for the effectiveness of the processes of health care, however its structure and organization is unknown by the community. The nursing service congregates a great number of personnel with different levels of education. The planning, organization, structure and operation of this service follow the principles of the General Theory of Administration. Knowledge from this area has also been used to help health institutions to achieve its goals and objectives. This study also approaches the client and the quality of health assistance, pointing out the need of reexamining the administrative model adopted and looking forward to systemic alternatives.

[Absenteeism as a variable in human resource planning in nursing]. / Estudo do absenteísmo como variável no planejamento de recursos humanos em enfermagem.

The study of absenteeism in Nursing is an important item that subsizes planning and adjusting human resources, regarding the continuity of nursing labor 24 hours a day in a hospital. Absenteeism is the absence from work at moments workers should be regularly executing their duties. We identified an absenteeism rate and also characterized the kinds of absences from work among nursing personel in surgical wards of a University Hospital. This investigative study had a quantitave, qualitative and retrospective aspect. Data were obtained from January to December of 1998. Results showed 29.63% of absences on that period. This total is composed by 23.28% of predictable absences and 6.35% of non-predictable absences as an index of calculated absenteeism.

[Stress related to administrative tasks in nursing]. / O estresse na atividade gerencial do enfermeiro.

According to several studies, nursing, especially in hospital settings, is one of the most stressful professions. The objective of this study was to identify the sources of stress related to the administrative tasks of nurses working in a hospital, as well as the main health changes that stress caused these professionals. The quantitative survey was carried out in 1996 with a sample of 207 nurses at a university hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A questionnaire was used to collect data on stress sources and symptoms. The questionnaire also gathered demographic data, as well as information on the nurses' feelings about their working conditions. The average age of the study participants was 35.8 years, and the average time working at the hospital was 8.5 years. Among participants, 48% were considered to be stressed. Work overload was the stress source that best predicted relative risk of stress (6.1). In terms of stress symptoms, the most commonly reported ones were cardiovascular changes. However, gastrointestinal changes were related to a higher risk of stress (5.3). Managing other staff was the stress source that had the greatest number of significant correlations with stress symptoms. On the other hand, immunologic changes were the symptoms that had the highest correlation with stress sources. Our results suggest that stress related to administrative tasks in nursing may trigger changes in nurses' health.

[Notes about the historical evolution of health policies in Brazil]. / Notas de aula sobre a evolução histórica das políticas de saúde no Brasil.

This paper is an historical review of the health policy in Brazil. Ranged since the arrival of the real portuguese family to Brazil until nowadays. The review intent to contextualize present facts based on historical, social and political facts for the needed foundation to give best comprehension of the ways in which is organizing the health policy in Brazil.

Decrease in the ratio of high- to low-affinity isozymes of (Na+ +K+)-ATPase during the development of rat cardiac ventricles.

The ratio of (Na+ +K+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3.)isoforms with high and low affinity for cardiac glycosides was studied in heart preparations from neonatal, 3-month and 6-month old Wistar rats. Biphasic ouabain inhibition curves of (Na+ +K+)-ATPase activity indicated that the relative contribution of the high-affinity process decreased from 34% at 9 days to 23% at 3 months and to 10% at 6 months. Scatchard plots for [3H]ouabain binding were curvilinear and indicated that the relative contribution of the high-affinity sites (Kd = 0.1-0.25 microM) decreased by about one-half between 3 months (19-24%, N = 2) and 6 months (9-11%, N = 2).

Decrease in the ratio of high to low affinity isozymes of (Na+ +K+)-ATPase during the development of rat cardiac ventricles

The ratio of (Na++K+)-ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3.) isoforms with high and low affinity for cardiac glycosides was studied in heart preparations from neonatal, 3-month and 6-month old Wistar rats. Biphasic ouabain inhibition curves of (Na++K+)-ATPase activity indicated that the relative contribution of the high-affinity process decreased from 34 percent at 9 days to 23 percent at 3 months and to 10 percent at 6 months. Scatchard plots for [3H]ouabain binding were curvillinear and indicated that the relative contribution of the high-affinity sites (Kd = 0.1-0.25 µM) decreased by about one-half between 3 months (19-24 percent, N = 2) and 6 months (9-11 percent, N = 2)

[Study of variables in the planning of nursing personnel in hospitals of Porto Allegre]. / Estudo das variáveis que participam do dimensionamento de pessoal de enfermagem em hospitais de Grande Porte.

The study intends to discuss the reality of nursing personnel planning, trying to describe the qualitative and quantitative variables that are involved in this process in hospitals of Porto Alegre city. In spite of numberless variables found, we can verify a great diversity between the criterious accepted by the nursing chief's and the inexistence of official criterious. The data analisys allowed grouping the variables in four main categories: hospital, nursing service, unit and clientele. To exist best utilization the quantitative variables related unit and clientele categories and restriction of autonomy nursing service to decide about this theme.