Characterization of the Toxicological Effects of Aminocarb on Rats: Hematological, Biochemical, and Histological Analyses

Aminocarb is a widely applied carbamate insecticide with action of controlling pests such as Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. In this study, subchronic effects on Wistar rats were investigated using hematological, biochemical, and histological techniques. Rats were exposed orally at sublethal levels of 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg body weight (groups A, B, and C, respectively) for 14 d. Hematological results revealed no statistical differences after 1 d of exposure but significant reduction in white blood cells detected after 7 d of exposure in group C, as well as, in all treated groups after 14 d of exposure. Biochemical data showed a decrease of acetylcholinesterase activity in all groups after 1 d of exposure with a return to normal after 7 and 14 d. Significant increase in alkaline phosphatase activity of rats exposed to aminocarb was noted after 7 d of treatment. The levels of triglycerides were also significantly decreased. The present investigation also showed a significant increase in content of serum urea and creatinine in animals from group A (14 d), and from groups B and C (7 and 14 d). Histological results demonstrated hemorrhagic focus on hepatic and renal parenchyma in all exposed groups. Taken together, the attained results were dose dependent and indicated adverse effects of aminocarb on hepatic and renal functions, as well as on immune responsiveness at sublethal tested doses.

Impact of excipients in the chronic toxicity of fluoxetine on the alga Chlorella vulgaris

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) widely used in the treatment of major depression. It has been detected in surface and wastewaters, being able to negatively affect aquatic organisms. Most of the ecotoxicity studies focused only in pharmaceuticals, though excipients can also pose a risk to non-target organisms. In this work the ecotoxicity of five medicines (three generic formulations and two brand labels) containing the same active substance (fluoxetine hydrochloride) was tested on the alga Chlorella vulgaris, in order to evaluate if excipients can influence their ecotoxicity. Effective concentrations that cause 50% of inhibition (EC50) ranging from 0.25 to 15 mg L−1 were obtained in the growth inhibition test performed for the different medicines. The corresponding values for fluoxetine concentration are 10 times lower. Higher EC50 values had been published for the same alga considering only the toxicity of fluoxetine. Therefore, this increase in toxicity may be attributed to the presence of excipients. Thus more studies on ecotoxicological effects of excipients are required in order to assess the environmental risk they may pose to aquatic organisms.

Siderophore Production by Bacillus megaterium: Effect of Growth Phase and Cultural Conditions

Siderophore production by Bacillus megaterium was detected, in an iron-deficient culture medium, during the exponential growth phase, prior to the sporulation, in the presence of glucose; these results suggested that the onset of siderophore production did not require glucose depletion and was not related with the sporulation. The siderophore production by B. megaterium was affected by the carbon source used. The growth on glycerol promoted the very high siderophore production (1,182 μmol g−1 dry weight biomass); the opposite effect was observed in the presence of mannose (251 μmol g−1 dry weight biomass). The growth in the presence of fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, maltose or sucrose, originated similar concentrations of siderophore (546–842 μmol g−1 dry weight biomass). Aeration had a positive effect on the production of siderophore. Incubation of B. megaterium under static conditions delayed and reduced the growth and the production of siderophore, compared with the incubation in stirred conditions.

Alternative chelating agents: Evaluation of the ready biodegradability and complexation properties

The ready biodegradability of four chelating agents, N,N -(S,S)-bis[1-carboxy-2-(imidazol-4-yl)ethyl]ethylenediamine (BCIEE), N - ethylenedi-L-cysteine (EC), N,N -bis (4-imidazolymethyl)ethylenediamine (EMI) and 2,6-pyridine dicarboxylic acid (PDA), was tested according to the OECD guideline for testing of chemicals. PDA proved to be a readily biodegradable substance. However, none of the other three compounds were degraded during the 28 days of the test. Chemical simulations were performed for the four compounds in order to understand their ability to complex with some metal ions (Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and discuss possible applications of these chelating agents. Two different conditions were simulated: (i) in the presence of the chelating agent and one metal ion, and (ii) in the simultaneous presence of the chelating agent and all metal ions with an excess of Ca. For those compounds that were revealed not to be readily biodegradable (BCIEE, EC and EMI), applications were evaluated where this property was not fundamental or even not required. Chemical simulations pointed out that possible applications for these chelating agents are: food fortification, food process, fertilizers, biocides, soil remediation and treatment of metal poisoning. Additionally, chemical simulations also predicted that PDA is an efficient chelating agent for Ca incrustations removal, detergents and for pulp metal ions removal process.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mutants Affected in Vacuole Assembly or Vacuolar H+-ATPase are Hypersensitive to Lead (Pb) Toxicity

Lead is an important environmental pollutant. The role of vacuole, in Pb detoxification, was studied using a vacuolar protein sorting mutant strain (vps16D), belonging to class C mutants. Cells disrupted in VPS16 gene, did not display a detectable vacuolar-like structure. Based on the loss of cell proliferation capacity, it was found that cells from vps16D mutant exhibited a hypersensitivity to Pb-induced toxicity, compared to wild type (WT) strain. The function of vacuolar H?-ATPase (VATPase), in Pb detoxification, was evaluated using mutants with structurally normal vacuoles but defective in subunits of catalytic (vma1D or vma2D) or membrane domain (vph1D or vma3D) of V-ATPase. All mutants tested, lacking a functional V-ATPase, displayed an increased susceptibility to Pb, comparatively to cells from WT strain. Modification of vacuolar morphology, in Pb-exposed cells, was visualized using a Vma2p-GFP strain. The treatment of yeast cells with Pb originated the fusion of the medium size vacuolar lobes into one enlarged vacuole. In conclusion, it was found that vacuole plays an important role in the detoxification of Pb in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; in addition, a functional V-ATPase was required for Pb compartmentalization.

Size matters when we talk about corporate social responsibility: the case of portuguese companies

Social responsibility arises as a measure of the corporate policy that goes beyond the production activity, thus covering also the social and environmental activities. This issue has been gaining importance over time. The number of companies that are implementing socially responsible actions has been growing steadily even though it is still centered on large and medium sized companies. Social responsibility is an accessible theme to any company of any size, once the social and environmental issues are resolved through concrete actions, but in the small and micro-sized companies there are factors that inhibit such actions. Some of these factors are: reduced investment capacity; minimal expectations of medium to long term returns; or even the short-term management focus that is aimed at survival. Such facts can be verified in the case of Portuguese companies, where out of the 41 companies certified by SA 8000 only 5 are micro-sized or small and even these are linked to large organizations.

Spent coffee grounds for biodiesel production and other applications

This work evaluates the possibility of using spent coffee grounds (SCG) for biodiesel production and other applications. An experimental study was conducted with different solvents showing that lipid content up to 6 wt% can be obtained from SCG. Results also show that besides biodiesel production, SCG can be used as fertilizer as it is rich in nitrogen, and as solid fuel with higher heating value (HHV) equivalent to some agriculture and wood residues. The extracted lipids were characterized for their properties of acid value, density at 15 °C, viscosity at 40 °C, iodine number, and HHV, which are negatively influenced by water content and solvents used in lipid extraction. Results suggest that for lipids with high free fatty acids (FFA), the best procedure for conversion to biodiesel would be a two-step process of acid esterification followed by alkaline transesterification, instead of a sole step of direct transesterification with acid catalyst. Biodiesel was characterized for its properties of iodine number, acid value, and ester content. Although these quality parameters were not within the limits of NP EN 14214:2009 standard, SCG lipids can be used for biodiesel, blended with higher-quality vegetable oils before transesterification, or the biodiesel produced from SCG can be blended with higher-quality biodiesel or even with fossil diesel, in order to meet the standard requirements.

Behaviour and fate of metals in urban wastewater treatment plants: a review

The concerns on metals in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are mainly related to its contents in discharges to environment, namely in the final effluent and in the sludge produced. In the near future, more restrictive limits will be imposed to final effluents, due to the recent guidelines of the European Water Framework Directive (EUWFD). Concerning the sludge, at least seven metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) have been regulated in different countries, four of which were classified by EUWFD as priority substances and two of which were also classified as hazardous substances. Although WWTPs are not designed to remove metals, the study of metals behaviour in these systems is a crucial issue to develop predictive models that can help more effectively the regulation of pre-treatment requirements and contribute to optimize the systems to get more acceptable metal concentrations in its discharges. Relevant data have been published in the literature in recent decades concerning the occurrence/fate/behaviour of metals in WWTPs. However, the information is dispersed and not standardized in terms of parameters for comparing results. This work provides a critical review on this issue through a careful systematization, in tables and graphs, of the results reported in the literature, which allows its comparison and so its analysis, in order to conclude about the state of the art in this field. A summary of the main consensus, divergences and constraints found, as well as some recommendations, is presented as conclusions, aiming to contribute to a more concerted action of future research. © 2015, Islamic Azad University (IAU).

System theorizing and environmental governance in the EU

Comunicação apresentada na 9th European Sociological Association Conference - European Society or European Societies, no ISCTE, de 2 a 5 de Setembro de 2009.

The selection of senior civil servants in the context of the different public administration models: an issue of accountability

Comunicação apresentada no Congresso do IIAS-IISA no âmbito do IX Grupo de Estudo: Serviço público e política, realizado em Ifrane, Marrocos de 13 a 17 de junho de 2014

EcoTerra Model - application of environmental fiscal reform in local government financing in Portugal

Critical Issues in Environmental Taxation: International and Comparative Perspectives: Volume VI, 699-715

ISO 14001:2015: An Improved Tool for Sustainability

ISO 14001 is an International Standard of worldwide acceptance based on the concept that better environmental performance can be achieved when environmental aspects are systematically identified and managed giving a major contribution to Sustainability, through pollution prevention, improved environmental performance and complying with applicable laws. This paper aims to discuss the Sustainability approach through the use of Environmental Management Standards (EMS), the results achieved by organizations that implement and certify those EMS and a special focus on the current process of ISO 14001:2015 revision and the logic behind it.

Privatization in an international mixed duopoly with environmental taxes

We study the effects of environmental and trade policies in an international duopoly serving two countries, with pollution abatement. This analysis is done in both mixed and privatized markets. The model has two stages: First, governments choose environmental taxes and import tariffs, simultaneously; then, the firms compete in the market by choosing output levels for the domestic market and to export and also abatement levels.

O impacto dos factores humanos na segurança em cuidados de saúde : contribuição para uma revisão da literatura

RESUMO - A segurança dos doentes é, actualmente, um princípio fundamental dos cuidados de saúde. Apesar desta realidade, cada ponto no processo de prestação de cuidados contém um certo grau de insegurança inerente. Os eventos adversos podem resultar de problemas na prática, produtos, processos ou sistemas. A melhoria da segurança do doente implica um esforço de todo um sistema complexo, envolvendo uma ampla gama de acções de melhoria do desempenho, segurança e gestão ambiental de risco, incluindo, entre outras prioridades, a prática de cuidados de saúde em ambiente seguro e com a melhor qualidade. É sabido que todos os anos morrem nos hospitais portugueses, cerca de três mil pessoas, devido a erros cometidos pelos profissionais de saúde. Compreender o erro humano e intervir de forma adequada nas suas causas, implica, muito mais que uma avaliação do facto em si, mas uma avaliação de toda a estrutura onde é passível de ocorrer um erro. São inúmeros os factores que estão relacionados com esta temática, sendo os factores humanos, aqueles que poderão merecer alguma reflexão, pois são ainda algo omitidos nas orientações de gestão e nas considerações de chefias. Assim sendo, pretende-se que, com este projecto de investigação, através de uma revisão da literatura, sejam identificados os vários factores humanos que influenciam o desempenho dos profissionais de saúde, envolvidos na prestação directa de cuidados. Estes factores reflectem-se na segurança dos cuidados de saúde e na melhoria da qualidade prestados nas instituições de saúde. Face aos resultados conclusivos após a revisão de literatura, é verificado que os factores humanos que influenciam o desempenho dos profissionais de saúde são: comunicação e partilha de informação; conhecimento e formação; liderança; trabalho em equipa; cultura de segurança e aprendizagem; carga de trabalho; exigências físicas e ambiente de trabalho. É esperado que o contributo deste trabalho promova o conhecimento em torno desta temática e que se apresente como o início de uma aposta na valorização, cada vez mais importante, mas ainda limitada, destes valores intangíveis da gestão – os factores humanos. ----------------------------------- ABSTRACT - Patient safety is, nowadays, a fundamental principle of health care. Despite this fact, each point in the process of care contains an inherent degree of uncertainty. Adverse events may result from problems in practice, products, processes or systems. Improving patient safety requires an effort of a whole complex system, involving a wide range of measures to improve performance, safety and environmental risk management, including, among other priorities, the practice of health care in a safe environment and the best quality. It is known that every year die, in Portuguese hospitals, around three thousand people, due to mistakes made by health professionals. To understand human error and intervene as appropriate in their causes, it is required much more than an assessment of the fact itself, but an assessment of the whole structure where it is likely to occur. There are countless factors that are related to this issue, but human factors, those who may deserve some consideration, are still left out in management guidelines and supervisors considerations. Therefore, this research project seeks to determine, through a literature review, the identification of various human factors that influence the performance of healthcare providers involved in direct provision of care. The aim is also to know which factors are reflected in safety healthcare and how they are, in fact, crucial in the performance of professionals and in the promotion of quality and safety of the healthcare provided in healthcare institutions. Given the conclusive results after a review of literature, it is found that the human factors that influence the performance of health professionals are: communicating and sharing information, knowledge and training, leadership, teamwork, safety culture and learning; workload, physical demands and work environment. It is expected that this project may contribute to advance of the knowledge regarding this problem and be an essential tool to the beginning of a reliance on the development, increasingly important but still limited, of these intangibles management values – the human factors.

Strategic environmental assessment in Tróia (Portugal)

Proceedings of the First International Conference on Coastal Conservation and Management in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, p. 91-98