Calcium intake in the elderly: validation of a dietary questionnaire

Epidemiological studies of calcium and osteoporosis have been hampered by the lack of a suitable tool for assessing calcium intake. This report describes a new frequency and amount questionnaire for measuring present and past calcium intake in the elderly. The validity of the questionnaire was tested against two commonly used standards of dietary assessment, five-day duplicate diets and seven-day weighed dietary inventories. The resulting correlation coefficients were, respectively, r = 0.76 and r = 0.69, while that for repeatability was r = 0.84. Furthermore, the questionnaire categorized subjects into thirds of the distribution of intake with almost no gross misclassification. It is suggested that the present findings may be extended to the majority of normal, healthy elderly subjects, implying wide application for the questionnaire in the assessment of calcium intake in the elderly.     

Rural campaign to diagnose and treat mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Bolivia.

Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) is endemic in the tropical Amazonian lowlands of Bolivia, an area that regularly receives influxes of migratory populations. In these new agricultural development areas, a campaign to diagnose and treat the disease was carried out between 1989 and 1992, in order to provide direct access to MCL treatment in the endemic areas at a standard equivalent to that offered in the urban centres in Bolivia. The campaign led to the creation of decentralized local centres for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. A campaign to inform the population about leishmaniasis was also undertaken and courses were run to educate medical and paramedical personnel. As a result of the campaign, 3285 cases of leishmaniasis were diagnosed, including 2152 cutaneous and 326 mucosal forms. Also, a total of 1888 cases were treated, 1677 of which cutaneous and 211, mucosal.     

AB-BNCT beam shaping assembly based on 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction optimization

A numerical optimization of a Beam Shaping Assembly (BSA) for Accelerator Based-Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (AB-BNCT) has been performed. The reaction ⁷Li(p,n)⁷Be has been considered using a proton beam on a lithium fluoride target. Proton energy and the dimensions of a simple BSA geometry have been varied to obtain a set of different configurations. The optimal configuration of this set is shown.     

Development of high intensity ion sources for a Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole facility for Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Several ion sources have been developed and an ion source test stand has been mounted for the first stage of a Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole facility For Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. A first source, designed, fabricated and tested is a dual chamber, filament driven and magnetically compressed volume plasma proton ion source. A 4 mA beam has been accelerated and transported into the suppressed Faraday cup. Extensive simulations of the sources have been performed using both 2D and 3D self-consistent codes.     

Development of a Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole facility for Accelerator-Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

We describe the present status of an ongoing project to develop a Tandem-ElectroStatic-Quadrupole (TESQ) accelerator facility for Accelerator-Based (AB)-BNCT. The project final goal is a machine capable of delivering 30 mA of 2.4 MeV protons to be used in conjunction with a neutron production target based on the ⁷Li(p,n)⁷Be reaction. The machine currently being constructed is a folded TESQ with a high-voltage terminal at 0.6 MV. We report here on the progress achieved in a number of different areas.     

Accelerator tube construction and characterization for a tandem-electrostatic-quadrupole for accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy

The accelerator tubes are essential components of the accelerator. Their function is to transport and accelerate a very intense proton or deuteron beam through the machine, from the ion source to the neutron production target, without significant losses. In this contribution, we discuss materials selected for the tube construction, the procedures used for their assembly and the testing performed to meet the stringent requirements to which it is subjected.     

Beliefs about nursing in the Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem: reflections on ideals,science, and art

The inquiry of this study is the beliefs related to the nursing professional in the first decades of this activity in Brazil. The investigation presupposes that some of these beliefs are still current. The objective is to point out the beliefs expressed by Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem (Brazilian Journal of Nursing) in 33 articles, during the period between 1932 (when the journal was created) and 1954. Five notions of the nursing professional were identified through the analyses of the symbology presented on the cover of the periodical--Egyptian mythology; ideal, science and art, inscribed in a triangle. The categories established for nurses were: self-forgetful, heroine, socially committed, mercenary and bad angel. Finally, the study proposes an interpretation to the ideas presented in the triangle.     

Validation of a health survey questionnaire focusing on risk factors for coronary artery disease in a group of public employees in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The validity of a health survey questionnaire used in a family health promotion program to identify individuals at risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) was studied in a random sample of 297 State public employees in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The sample was stratified by sex, and subjects were 40 years of age or older. Results obtained in interviews were compared to laboratory and clinical data. We assessed the questionnaire's sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values in relation to questions about current or previous history of diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and high cholesterol. Among individuals with at least one altered clinical or laboratory test, 81% (total sensitivity) were identified by the referred risk inquiry when reporting at least one risk factor. Sheffield and New Zealand tables were used to determine the individuals with increased risk of developing CAD and to assess if they would also be identified by the health survey questionnaire. The sensitivity for identifying this subgroup was 100%.     

Nurse leaders' perceptions of what compromises successful leadership in today's acute inpatient environment

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of nurse leaders' perceptions of both the value of their roles in today's health care setting and their beliefs about how power and gender interface with role worth. Support for the theoretical significance of this research stemmed from Kanter's Structural Theory of Organizational Behavior. Four leaders were recruited at the executive level and 12 at the director/managerial level. The results of the deductive analysis supported Kanter's theory. Eighty-three percent of the nurse leaders validated that access to power, opportunity, information, and resources created an empowered environment, producing a climate that fostered leadership success and enhanced levels of job satisfaction among nurses. This study provided groundwork on the kinds of leadership traits that foster nursing satisfaction and on whether or not gender influences leadership effectiveness. The findings of this study are both timely and relevant for nurse leaders faced with the effects of the current supply-and-demand nursing shortage and with fiscal restraints mandated by managed care and regulatory agencies.