The vision for maternity services focuses on women-centred care with choice, control and promoting normality at its centre, thus emphasising the need to empower women to make choices and decisions regarding their care in labour and birth. Some women will choose the medical model of care, however others prefer to be in control and choose to use non-pharmacological alternatives for pain control in labour such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). TENS has enabled the provision of non-invasive, mobile, self-controlled pain relief for women in labour and is used extensively by women in the UK who, when asked, assess it favourably and say they would use it again. Currently the available literature on TENS fails to consider individual women’s experiences of using TENS for labour and birth, this study therefore seeks to redress this balance. Set in the south of England, the study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in order to explore the experiences of twenty purposively selected women, who were interviewed to expose their in-depth experiences of using TENS for pain control in labour and birth. The analysis of the verbatim transcripts revealed comprehensive findings ensuring an idiographic focus along with making claims for the larger group of women. In this study women used TENS as part of a combination of more natural pain control or as a ‘sole’ form of pain control for labour and birth. TENS was recognised as being part of a wider strategy for the maintenance of control in labour and normal birth for women. A super-ordinate theme of ‘control’ emerged from the data particularly relating to ‘internal control of self’, ‘external control of others’ and ‘control of the TENS machine’. Women’s positive experiences were enhanced by remaining mobile, using drug free pain control, being knowledgeable, having partners’ and midwives’ support, being distracted from their pain and trusting in TENS. By uncovering a group of women’s in-depth experiences of using TENS for pain control in labour and birth this study has filled a “gap” in the knowledge base. In addition, the findings suggest that TENS was identified as an ‘enabling mechanism’ for the women in order to be in control of a normalised birth. Women were able to maintain their independence, make decisions and actively take part in their pain control using TENS.

This research was jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). As such, its underpinning and innovative aim was to explore the use of Operational Research (OR) techniques, a research area traditionally associated with the EPSRC, to address key societal problems traditionally associated with the ESRC. The ageing population presents many significant challenges for social care services at both a national and local level, one of which is to meet the demand for long-term care. The population of people aged over 65 will continue to grow for some time as the ―baby boom‖ generation ages. The concern for policy planners is whether there will be enough resources in place to handle the expected strain on the system in the future. The research presented in this thesis addresses this key issue, and was carried out in collaboration with the Adult Services Department of Hampshire County Council (HCC). The overarching aim of this thesis was to develop computer models (using data local to Hampshire) which would be of practical use in estimating the future demand and planning the supply of long-term care in Hampshire. A cell-based model was built to forecast the demand for long-term care in Hampshire from people aged 65 and over for the period 2009 to 2026. An important part of this research was to understand the main drivers of future demand for long-term care and to predict the future number of people with a disability. Hampshire County Council has already tried to address these issues of demographic change through a modernisation programme. Part of this has been the establishment of a contact centre called Hantsdirect. A discrete-event simulation model of the contact centre was developed. The two models were combined to explore the short- and long-term performance of the contact centre in the light of demographic change. This hybrid model has enabled HCC to explore the short- and long-term performance of the contact centre. This study combines OR with Gerontology, Demography and Social Policy. This research is novel as it iteratively combines a compartmental population model with a discrete-event simulation model. From an OR perspective, the aim was not only to explore the use of modelling in social care (where, unlike healthcare, there has not hitherto been a lot of research), but also to investigate the potential for combining different modelling approaches in order to obtain additional value from the modelling. This novel approach in a social care setting is one of the main contributions of this thesis.

Breast milk is acknowledged and recommended as the best food for babies by the World Health Organization. However, globally the proportion of mothers who breastfeed is still low and this is particularly the case in Thailand. The aim of this study is to improve women’s ability to breastfeed. A two phase study was designed. Phase I was to better understand women’s experiences and breastfeeding support needs, which formed the development of the ‘Breastfeeding Support Package’. The package, which consisted of the tool and leaflets, was to be administered by the nurses with the postpartum women. Phase II aimed to explore mother’s and nurses’ experiences following the use of the package. A pragmatic qualitative approach was used throughout. A government hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, was the setting for this research. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the participants for both phases of the study. In Phase I, semi-structured interviews of 17 mothers who visited the Family Planning Clinical, post-delivery, were undertaken. Thematic analysis was used to examine the data. For phase II, three groups of participants were involved: five participants from phase 1, five postpartum women and five nurses working on the postpartum ward. Telephone interviews were used to assess face validity to the tool while semi-structured interviews were used to investigate mothers’ and nurses’ experiences regarding the use of the package. Three themes that contributed to women’s experience of breastfeeding were ‘knowledge and attitude towards breastfeeding’, ‘practicality’ and ‘support’. Three themes that contributed to ‘women’s needs of breastfeeding support’ were ‘knowledge’, ‘attitude’, and ‘practice’. The use of the package could open a ‘platform to communication’ regarding women’s needs and act as a ‘platform to support’ for nurses. The postpartum women were able to better communicate their needs regarding breastfeeding support with the nurses, as well as receiving the support they required. The packaged worked well with present conditions and environment at the postpartum ward of the hospital.

This study investigates the experiences of South Asian women being treated for breast cancer within a British system of health and social care that recognises racialised inequalities in care and is striving to provide culturally sensitive care to an increasingly diverse population. The research was conducted in a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in an outer London suburb. It is a qualitative exploratory study based on eighteen in- depth interviews and participant observation of interactions between women with breast cancer and health care professionals. The interviews were conducted in three languages: English, Gujarati and Hindi. In examining whole person care from the perspectives of both health care professionals and South Asian women, this thesis demonstrates how ethnicity as both a category of social difference and a process of social identification can present significant challenges for holistic care at different stages of the patient pathway. The concept of othering is used to make sense of the complicated relationships between health care professionals and South Asian women and to examine the extent to which care is responsive to differences of ethnicity, culture and faith. The findings from participant observation and qualitative interview data suggest that health professionals can often reduce the complex experiences of South Asian women to cultural difference. Such thinking can serve to compromise therapeutic relationships in which mutual power sharing and decision making is inhibited. However, cultural stereotyping is not a uniform process and can be transformed in situ so that some women are able to access personalised and holistic care. Whilst recognising that the needs of South Asian are complex evidence from this study suggests that othering can be a central process through which health care professionals contribute to the marginalisation of South Asian women within health care services.

Existem diversos trabalhos publicados sobre a utilização de diferentes métodos imunológicos para diagnosticar infecções do trato respiratório causadas por vírus parainfluenza bovino tipo 3 (bPIV-3). Entretanto, é escassa a literatura sobre a utilização da técnica de isolamento viral. Até o presente momento não havia sido relatada a utilização da Transcrição Reversa - Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (RT-PCR), na detecção de bPIV-3. O objetivo deste estudo foi contribuir para uma melhor caracterização dos bPIV-3 através do desenvolvimento de técnicas de RTPCR para a sua detecção. Utilizando-se uma amostra referência de bPIV-3 (SF-4) e uma amostra de bPIV-3 isolada no Rio Grande do Sul (amostra DIO) foram desenvolvidas técnicas de RT-PCR para a amplificação de diferentes regiões do gene da hemaglutinina-neuraminidase (HN). Após seqüenciamento parcial do gene HN e alinhamento das seqüências da amostra DIO, os resultados revelaram homologia de 99% em relação à amostra referência, 98% a 91% quando comparada com outras amostras de bPIV-3 previamente publicadas na rede e 79% a 80% quando comparada com as amostras de hPIV-3. Foi desenvolvida, também, uma técnica de RT-PCR para amplificação de parte do gene da HN do bPIV-3 e do hPIV-3. Nos experimentos de otimização, a técnica de RT-PCR, comparada com o isolamento viral, apresentou sensibilidade de 140 DICC50, boa especificidade e reprodutibilidade. Os resultados, após seqüenciamento da amostra de vírus bPIV-3 isolada no RS, apresentaram, grande homologia com os das amostras de bPIV-3 comparadas, especialmente a amostra referência. Os dados obtidos neste estudo mostraram que a RT-PCR desenvolvida para a detecção de PIV-3 foi capaz de amplificar um fragmento de 1009 bp do gene da HN de amostras de PIV-3 isoladas de bovinos e humanos, possibilitando a sua utilização em diagnóstico e em estudos epidemiológicos. / There are several published studies on the application of different immunological methods for diagnosis of respiratory infections caused by bovine type 3 Parainfluenza virus (bPIV-3). However, the literature on viral isolation procedure is very scarce. At present there is no report about the utilization of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for bPIV-3 detection. The aim of this study was to contribute to a better caracterization of bovine type 3 Parainfluenza virus by developing RT-PCR techniques to its detection. A reference sample (SF-4) and a sample of bPIV-3 isolated in Rio Grande do Sul (DIO sample) were used to develop RT-PCR techniques by amplification of different regions of hemagglutinin-neuraminidase gene (HN). After HN gene partial sequencing of DIO sample and sequence alignment, the results revealed 99% homology when compared to reference sample, 98% the 91% homology in relation to bPIV-3 samples previously published and 79% the 80% if compared to hPIV-3 samples. It was also developed a RT-PCR for amplification of a part of bPIV-3 and hPIV-3 NH gene. In optimization experiments, compared to viral isolation procedure, the RTPCR displayed a sensitivity of 140 DICC50, good specificity and reproductibility. Results after sequencing of bPIV-3 sample isolated in RS displayed strong homology with those of bPIV-3 tested samples, specially the reference sample. Data obtained in this study showed that the RT-PCR technique developed for PIV- 3 detection was able to amplify an 1009 bp HN gene fragment of bovine and human PIV-3 samples which enables its utilization in diagnostic and epidemiological studies.

Introdução: A Leucemia Mielóide Aguda (LMA) é uma neoplasia complexa e heterogênea do tecido hematopoético, causada por mutações, desregulação da expressão gênica e modificações epigenéticas. Vários marcadores moleculares têm sido descritos para LMA, auxiliando a estratificação dos pacientes em grupos de risco. Recentemente, mutações em DNMT3A foram identificadas em 22.1% dos pacientes com LMA, estando independentemente associadas com pior prognóstico. Objetivos: Determinar a freqüência de mutações somáticas no gene DNMT3A e principais translocações cromossômicas em uma amostra de pacientes com LMA, correlacionando com dados clínicos Métodos: Foram pesquisadas, em 82 amostras de medula óssea de portadores de LMA atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, para mutações somáticas no gene DNMT3A por seqüenciamento e principais transcritos de fusão por RT-PCR. Resultados: A freqüência de mutações no gene DNMT3A foi de 8%(6) sendo 3 do tipo R882H. A freqüência relativa dos transcritos de fusão oriundos das translocações t(8;21), t(15;17), t(9;11) e inv16, respectivamente foram: 6,1%(5), 14,6% (12), 0%(0) e 2,4%(2). Conclusão: A descoberta de mutações recorrentes no gene DNMT3A e sua possível implicação prognóstica pode ser um instrumento valioso para a tomada de decisões terapêuticas. Que nos conste, este é o primeiro estudo sobre a presença de mutações somáticas do gene DNMT3A em portadores de LMA no Brasil. Embora em uma amostra relativamente pequena, a freqüência encontrada destas mutações foi inferior à relatada para pacientes caucasianos, sugerindo uma possível variação etnico-geográfica. / Introduction: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a complex and heterogeneous neoplasm hematopoietic tissue, caused by mutations, dysregulation of gene expression and epigenetic modifications. Several molecular markers have been described for AML, helping to classify patients into risk groups. Recently, mutations in DNMT3A were identified in 22.1% of patients with AML and these independently associated with poor prognosis. Aims: Determine the frequency of somatic mutations in the gene DNMT3A and major chromosomal translocations in a sample of patients with AML, correlating with clinical data. Methods: We investigated in 82 samples of bone marrow or peripheral blood of patients with AML treated at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, for somatic mutations in DNMT3A gene by sequencing and major fusion transcripts by RT-PCR. Results: The frequency of mutations in the DNMT3A gene was 8%(6) 3 being type R882H. The relative frequency of fusion transcripts arising from translocation t(8;21), t(15;17), t(9;11) and inv16, respectively were: 6,1%(5), 14,6% (12), 0%(0) and 2,4%(2). Conclusion: The discovery of recurrent mutations in the DNMT3A gene and its possible prognostic implications can be a valuable tool for making treatment decisions. From what we have recorded, this is the first study on the presence of somatic mutations of the DNMT3A gene in patients with AML in Brazil. Although in a relatively small sample, the frequency of these mutations was found lower than that reported for Caucasian patients and similar to that observed in Asian patients, suggesting a possible ethno-geographic variation.

Submitted by Hiolanda Rêgo (hiolandarego@gmail.com) on 2018-02-05T14:14:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_ICS_ ROCHA, D. J. P. G..pdf: 4034030 bytes, checksum: 7085be9f2fda81bc8248196d4b4e6988 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-05T14:14:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_ICS_ ROCHA, D. J. P. G..pdf: 4034030 bytes, checksum: 7085be9f2fda81bc8248196d4b4e6988 (MD5) / CNPQ / O método mais comum de normalização em ensaios de quantificação relativa da expressão gênica por PCR quantitativa em tempo real (qPCR) faz uso de um gene de referência, que deve manter sua expressão estável sob diferentes condições experimentais. Em uma meta-análise da literatura e banco de dados de experimentos de análise de expressão gênica em bactérias, os genes gyrA (DNA gyrase subunidade A), gyrB (DNA gyrase subunidade B), dnaG (DNA primase), era (GTPase era) e secA (translocase proteica subunidade secA), figuram entre os mais estáveis em diversas condições experimentais. Neste cenário, este estudo se propõe a desenvolver e construir um conjunto de primers universais para esses genes de referência a partir de organismos modelo de grupos bacterianos de interesse clínico e biotecnológico. As ferramentas de alinhamento, ClustalOmega e PCR virtual, Primer-Blast foram utilizadas para encontrar regiões conservadas entre os genes candidatos em diferentes organismos bacterianos. Dentro do complexo Mycobacterium tuberculosis, todos os genes apresentaram homologia suficiente para o desenho de primers universais, enquanto que em outros grupos bacterianos a homologia de sequência foi restrita a algumas espécies. Potenciais primers universais foram desenhados para diferentes grupos bacterianos e os primers para a família Enterobacteriaceae foram validados por RT-qPCR em Escherichia coli; os resultados foram comparados contra o gene comumente usado, 16S rRNA. Os primers testados apresentaram eficiências de amplificação dentro dos limites esperados e as expressões dos genes de referência foram estáveis nas condições estudadas, tendo sido o gene dnaG o mais estável, de acordo com os softwares NormFinder e RefFinder. Conclui-se que é possível desenhar primers universais funcionais para normalização de RT-qPCR em grupos bacterianos específicos, contudo o baixo nível de conservação gênica de determinados genes pode limitar suas utilizações.

RIBEIRO, Eliana Matos.Isolamento e caracterização parcial dos Genes beta-actina e miosina de cadeia pesada do Camarão rosa Farfantepenaeus subtilis. 2009. 107f. Dissertação(Mestrado em Engenharia de Pesca) - Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2009. / Submitted by Maria Naires Souza (marianaires@ufc.br) on 2011-12-02T23:19:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2009-dis-emribeiro.pdf: 1933705 bytes, checksum: a3df6513724ba614bd32cf3e837d1d16 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Nascimento(vieiraaline@yahoo.com.br) on 2011-12-08T12:07:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2009-dis-emribeiro.pdf: 1933705 bytes, checksum: a3df6513724ba614bd32cf3e837d1d16 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-12-08T12:07:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2009-dis-emribeiro.pdf: 1933705 bytes, checksum: a3df6513724ba614bd32cf3e837d1d16 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-04 / The penaeid shrimp Farfantepenaeus subtilis is an important native species for fisheries industry in Brazil. Among marine shrimps of commercial importance, penaeids are recognized as a valuable resource for fishery and aquaculture in tropical and subtropical regions. However, data on these species is extremely reduced, especially concerning genetic elements involved in animal muscle growth. Therefore, aiming at identifying shrimp genes directly associated with muscle contraction in this research, beta-actin and myosin heavy chain genes of the pink shrimp F. subtilis were isolated from its muscular abdominal and partially sequenced. Shrimps collected from Pacoti estuary, Ceará, were first identified through taxonomy and, then, through DNA amplification followed by sequencing of Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S. From fresh shrimp tissues, total RNA was extracted and complementary cDNA was obtained. Based on specific primers designed after sequence alignments performed against sequences at GenBank/NCBI, genes were amplified from RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase - polimerase chain reaction) and sequenced. A 760bp partial F. subtilis beta-actin cDNA fragment was obtained, while the partial F. subtilis myosin heavy chain cDNA was 570bp long. Sequence analyses using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) program indicated that F. subtilis beta-actin gene product is very similar to betaactin of other species of shrimps, while the myosin heavy chain protein is highly homologous to crustacean myosins heavy chain, confirming the identity of the isolated gene sequences. Alignment of these gene sequences with other sequences in GenBank showed high similarity with Penaeus monodon (93%) and Farfantepenaeus paulensis (88%). Results have showed the feasibility of partial gene identification as a means to identify genes of strategic interest. These data would help further attempts to elucidate the complete isolation of these genes, as well as the detection of other important genes, especially from shrimp species occurring at the Brazilian coast. Genes analyses involved with muscle growth might provide important genetic information on native species that are overexploited and may be viable for the shrimp cultivation. In addition, these data might also benefit the scientific community, improving a range of research areas such as physiology, phylogeny and evolution of penaeids / O camarão peneídeo Farfantepenaeus subtilis é uma importante espécie nativa do litoral nordestino que possui uma grande ocorrência na pesca. Dentre os camarões marinhos de importância comercial, os peneídeos se destacam por constituírem um valioso recurso para pesca e aqüicultura em regiões tropicais e subtropicais. Entretanto, a disponibilidade de informações sobre essas espécies é bastante escassa, principalmente em relação à estrutura genética que atua no crescimento muscular desses animais. Tendo como objetivo identificar genes envolvidos na contração muscular de camarões, neste trabalho foram parcialmente isolados e seqüenciados os genes de betaactina e miosina de cadeia pesada do camarão rosa F. subtilis, a partir do cDNA do músculo abdominal. Para tanto, camarões coletados no estuário do rio Pacoti, estado do Ceará, foram inicialmente identificados taxonomicamente e, depois através de amplificação de DNA seguida por sequenciamento das regiões citocromo oxidase subunidade I (COI) e 16S. Utilizando-se os tecidos frescos dos camarões, foi extraído o RNA total e foram obtidos os respectivos DNAs complementares (cDNAs). Baseado na construção de primers específicos a partir do alinhamento entre sequências descritas no Genbank/NCBI, os genes foram isolados por meio de RT-PCR (Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase através da transcriptase reversa) e seqüenciados. Foi obtido um fragmento parcial de 760 pares de base para o cDNA de beta-actina e para o cDNA de miosina de cadeia pesada foi obtido um fragmento de 570 pares de base. Análises das sequências realizadas pela ferramenta BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) revelaram alta similaridade com outras beta-actinas e miosinas de camarões, confirmando a identidade das sequências genéticas isoladas. Como resultado do alinhamento pareado entre as sequências desses genes obtidos no trabalho com as de outras espécies presentes no GenBank, pôde-se observar que as maiores similaridades foram com Penaeus monodon (93%) e com Farfantepenaeus paulensis (88%). Os resultados obtidos neste estudo demonstraram a viabilidade da metodologia utilizada na identificação de genes relacionados com características importantes. Esses dados irão facilitar o isolamento completo das sequências desses genes, além de contribuir para incentivar a identificação de outros genes importantes em camarões, principalmente os nativos do Brasil. Análise de genes que atuam desenvolvimento do tecido muscular do animal poderá fornecer informações genéticas importantes acerca de uma espécie nativa que está sendo superexplorada e que poderá ser viável para cultivo. Outrossim, esses dados beneficiarão a comunidade científica, servindo como base para estudos de fisiologia, filogenia e evolução em peneídeos

Submitted by Nathália Faria da Silva (nathaliafsilva.ufv@gmail.com) on 2017-06-19T11:33:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 resumo.pdf: 14552 bytes, checksum: c7feb5483902e97430fd0ecfd37fc98b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-19T11:33:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 resumo.pdf: 14552 bytes, checksum: c7feb5483902e97430fd0ecfd37fc98b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-03-18 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / O vírus da doença infecciosa bursal é um importante agente patogênico de aves e desde 1962 tem estado relacionado com grandes prejuízos econômicos. Ainda hoje não foi estabelecido um protocolo de vacinação realmente eficiente e falhas na imunização das aves são geralmente descritas. Os motivos dessas falhas vem sendo pesquisados e as causas alegadas são desde o surgimento de cepas patogênicas por mutações na região do gene que codifica para a VP2, uso mal assessorado de vacinas pouco atenuadas e a reversão vacinal. Este trabalho teve como objetivo pesquisar e comparar a patogenicidade de isolados de campo com a de cepas vacinais. Foram testadas 21 amostras de bursa que foram submetidas à Unidade de Sanidade Avícola da Universidade Federal de Viçosa com suspeita de doença infecciosa bursal e três amostras vacinais. O isolamento viral foi realizado em células VERO, sendo o vírus isolado de 14,28% (3/21) das amostras de campo e de todas as amostras vacinais. As amostras foram padronizadas pela habilidade de provocar efeito patogênico em cultivo celular e foram inoculadas em ovos embrionados de 10 dias de idade. Amostras de fígado, rins, bursa, baço e intestino de cada um dos embriões foram coletadas durante 8 dias e as alterações macroscópicas avaliadas. Metade de cada amostra coletada foi mantida à 4°C e metade foi fixada com formol 10%. As amostras fixadas foram processadas pelo método de inclusão em parafina, coradas com hematoxilina e eosina e as alterações microscópicas avaliadas. Das amostras mantidas a 4°C foi extraído o RNA total pelo método do TRIzol e testadas pela técnica de RT- PCR. Nas observações anatomopatológicas os embriões inoculados apresentavam tamanho reduzido quando comparado aos embriões controle e órgãos com lesões sugestivas de danos vasculares. Nas análises histopatológicas, os órgãos linfóides apresentaram pronunciada depleção linfóide, os hepátocitos vacuolização citoplasmática e os rins estruturas basófilas dentro de túbulos. No teste de RT-PCR foi possível detectar a presença do ácido nucléico viral em todos os tecidos, sendo que a distribuição tecidual dos isolados de campo foi maior quando comparada aos isolados vacinais. Esses resultados revelaram não haver grande diferença quando comparadas as lesões causadas pelos isolados de campo com as lesões causadas por algumas amostras vacinais. Porém há distintos padrões de distribuição em tecidos que poderia indicar uma variação na atenuação de algumas amostras vacinais. Esses resultados sugerem que as amostras vacinais podem causar lesões características da doença e que o uso de determinada cepa, mais ou menos invasiva, deve ser avaliada com cuidado pelo profissional no campo. / The infectious bursal disease virus is an important pathological agent of poultry and since 1962 it has been related to great economical losses. Until now, an efficient vaccination protocol has not been established and faults in poultry immunization are generally described. These faults motifs are being searched and various causes have been quoted, from the emergence of pathogenic strains by mutations in the gene responsible for coding VP2, to bad usage of vaccines attenuated for low passage and vaccinal reversion. The aim of this work was to examine and compare field isolates pathogenicity with vaccinal strains. Twenty-one bursa samples suspicious of infectious bursal disease submitted to Unidade de Sanidade Avícola da Universidade Federal de Viçosa and three vaccinal samples were tested. The viral isolation was accomplished in VERO cells, the virus was isolated in 14,28% (3/21) of field samples and in all vaccinal samples. The samples were standardized by its ability to provoke pathogenic effect in cellular culture and were inoculated in 10 days embryonic eggs. Liver, kidney, bursa, spleen and gut samples of each embryo were collected during 8 days and the macroscopic alterations evaluated. Half of each collected sample was stored at 4°C and the other half was fixed with 10% formol. The fixed samples were processed by paraffin xinclusion method, dyed with hematoxilin and eosin and the microscopic alterations evaluated. Total RNA extraction was performed on those samples stored at 4°C by TRIzol method and tested by RT-PCR technique. In anatomopathological observations inoculated embryos presented reduced size when compared to control embryos and organs with characteristics lesions of vascular injury. In histopathological analysis lymphoid organs presented an accentuated lymphoid depletion, hepatocytes presented citoplasmatic vacuolization and kidneys basophiles structures inside tubules. In RT-PCR test was possible to detect the presence of viral nucleic acid in each and every tissues, and the distribution of field isolates was larger when compared to vaccinal isolates. The results revealed that there is not much difference between lesions caused by field isolates with lesions caused by some of vaccinal samples. However, there are distinct distribution patterns in tissues that could indicate a variation on attenuation in some vaccinal samples. These results suggest that vaccinal samples could cause characteristics disease lesions and that the use of a determinate strain more or less invasive should be evaluated with care by the field professional.

Students learning in blended learning and classroom environments benefit from social interaction and vicarious learning experience with their peers and tutors. In comparison, students learning via self-directed Web-based learning cannot benefit from these advantages and may feel isolated. This research investigates if the presence of virtual persuasive agents presented as avatars, happy images and encouraging text can provide social support similar to real peers and improve students’ Web-based learning self-efficacy (WBLSE). This research also examines if low and high fidelity virtual persuasive agents can provide social support in a similar way. This study uses Bandura’s (1982) self-efficacy theory as a framework for changing nursing students’ beliefs in using the Web for learning. The basis for including virtual persuasive agents in this research stems from the media equation theory (Reeves & Nass, 1996) which holds that Computers are Social Actors (CASA) and that people respond to Web-based media as if they were social actors. Adopting the User-Centred Design approach, a bespoke Web-based training package was developed for changing pre-registration and post-registration nursing students’ WBLSE. In a quasi-experimental design, the package was delivered in three separate studies to different groups of pre-registration and post-registration nursing students. Several important findings contributed to the WBLSE body of knowledge. Overall, the training package was found to be effective with the nursing students’ WBLSE improving equally in the intervention groups in all studies. Pre-registration students showed the greatest improvement when learning by self-direction supported by virtual persuasive agents, whereas post-registration students improved when learning in a blended setting without their support. Low-fidelity virtual persuasive agents were sufficient in providing social support for pre-registration students in self-directed settings. The implications for Web-based learning in nurse education, research and practice are discussed.