Exposure and genotoxicity assessment methodologies: the case of formaldehyde occupational exposure

Formaldehyde (FA) ranks 25th in the overall U.S. chemical production, with more than 5 million tons produced each year. Given its economic importance and widespread use, many people are exposed to FA occupationally. Recently, based on the correlation with nasopharyngeal cancer in humans, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) confirmed the classification of FA as a Group I substance. Considering the epidemiological evidence of a potential association with leukemia, the IARC has concluded that FA can cause this lymphoproliferative disorder. Our group has developed a method to assess the exposure and genotoxicity effects of FA in two different occupational settings, namely FAbased resins production and pathology and anatomy laboratories. For exposure assessment we applied simultaneously two different techniques of air monitoring: NIOSH Method 2541 and Photo Ionization Detection Equipment with simultaneously video recording. Genotoxicity effects were measured by cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes and by micronucleus test in exfoliated oral cavity epithelial cells, both considered target cells. The two exposure assessment techniques show that in the two occupational settings peak exposures are still occurring. There was a statistical significant increase in the micronucleus mean of epithelial cells and peripheral lymphocytes of exposed individuals compared with controls. In conclusion, the exposure and genotoxicity effects assessment methodologies developed by us allowed to determine that these two occupational settings promote exposure to high peak FA concentrations and an increase in the micronucleus mean of exposed workers. Moreover, the developed techniques showed promising results and could be used to confirm and extend the results obtained by the analytical techniques currently available.

Avaliação energética de uma escola

Mestrado em Engenharia Química

Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Bone Marrow Transplantation: tradução e validação

OBJETIVO: Traduzir para o português e validar o questionário de qualidade de vida Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Bone Marrow Transplantation (FACT-BMT) em pacientes transplantados de medula óssea. OBJETIVO: O estudo foi realizado em Ribeirão Preto, SP, em 2005. O FACT-BMT (versão 3) traduzido e a versão em português do Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) foram aplicados simultaneamente em 55 pacientes consecutivos com leucemia, submetidos ao transplante e em seguimento. Dois parâmetros clínicos foram utilizados para testar a sensibilidade do questionário: tempo decorrido do transplante e presença ou não de doença do enxerto contra o hospedeiro. Foi utilizada a análise de variância (ANOVA) com o teste post hoc de Tukey. Aplicou-se o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach, padronizado para todas as questões, escore final e domínios. RESULTADOS: A média de idade dos pacientes foi 34,8±8,1 anos, com escolaridade média de 10,8±4,7 anos, sendo 78,1% do sexo feminino. A duração média de tempo pós-transplante foi de 29,8±32,19 meses. Nenhuma alteração do formato original do questionário foi observada no final do processo de tradução e adaptação cultural. A consistência interna foi alta (0,88). A correlação entre o questionário traduzido e o SF-36 variou de 0,35 a 0,57, considerada de moderada a boa para a maioria dos domínios de qualidade de vida. A avaliação das validades de construto e concorrente foi satisfatória e estatisticamente significativa. CONCLUSÕES: A versão para o português do FACT-BMT foi validada satisfatoriamente para a aplicação em pacientes brasileiros de ambos os sexos submetidos ao transplante de medula óssea.

Aprender brincando: a atividade lúdica na construção de aprendizagens, na educação Pré-Escolar e no 1º ciclo do Ensino Básico

Mestrado (PES II), Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico, 26 de Junho de 2014, Universidade dos Açores.

Anthropometric evaluation and micronutrients intake in patients submitted to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with a postoperative period of ≥1 year

Backgroung - Bariatric surgery is indicated as the most effective treatment for morbid obesity; the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is considered the procedure of choice. However, nutritional deficiency may occur in the postoperative period as a result of reduced gastric capacity and change in nutrients absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. The prescription of vitamin and mineral supplementation is a common practice after RYGB; however, it may not be sufficient to prevent micronutrient deficiencies. The aim of this study was to quantify the micronutrient intake in patients undergoing RYGB and verify if the intake of supplementation would be enough to prevent nutritional deficiencies. Methods - The study was conducted on 60 patients submitted to RYGB. Anthropometric, analytical, and nutritional intake data were assessed preoperatively and 1 and 2 years postoperatively. The dietary intake was assessed using 24-h food recall; the values of micronutrients evaluated (vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, and calcium) were compared to the dietary reference intakes (DRI). Results - There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between excess weight loss at the first and second year (69.9 ± 15.3 vs 9.6 ± 62.9 %). In the first and second year after surgery, 93.3 and 94.1 % of the patients, respectively, took the supplements as prescribed. Micronutrient deficiencies were detected in the three evaluation periods. At the first year, there was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of B12, folic acid, and iron intake. Conclusions - Despite taking vitamin and mineral supplementation, micronutrient deficiencies are common after RYGB. In the second year after surgery, micronutrient intake remains below the DRI.

Comparative study between two distinct methods for attenuation correction and the use of no-attenuation correction for the assessment of relative uptake of 99mTc-DMSA on pediatric patients

Introduction: Although relative uptake values aren’t the most important objective of a 99mTc-DMSA scan, they are important quantitative information. In most of the dynamic renal scintigraphies attenuation correction is essential if one wants to obtain a reliable result of the quantification process. Although in DMSA scans the absent of significant background and the lesser attenuation in pediatric patients, makes that this attenuation correction techniques are actually not applied. The geometric mean is the most common method, but that includes the acquisition of an anterior (extra) projection, which it is not acquired by a large number of NM departments. This method and the attenuation factors proposed by Tonnesen will be correlated with the absence of attenuation correction procedures. Material and Methods: Images from 20 individuals (aged 3 years +/- 2) were used and the two attenuation correction methods applied. The mean time of acquisition (time post DMSA administration) was 3.5 hours +/- 0.8h. Results: The absence of attenuation correction showed a good correlation with both attenuation methods (r=0.73 +/- 0.11) and the mean difference verified on the uptake values between the different methods were 4 +/- 3. The correlation was higher when the age was lower. The attenuation correction methods correlation was higher between them two than with the “no attenuation correction” method (r=0.82 +/- 0.8), and the mean differences of the uptake values were 2 +/- 2. Conclusion: The decision of not doing any kind of attenuation correction method can be justified by the minor differences verified on the relative kidney uptake values. Nevertheless, if it is recognized that there is a need for an accurate value of the relative kidney uptake, then an attenuation correction method should be used. Attenuation correction factors proposed by Tonnesen can be easily implemented and so become a practical and easy to implement alternative, namely when the anterior projection - needed for the geometric mean methodology – is not acquired.

Assessment of nursing students and nurses' orientation towards patient-centeredness

Background - Being patient centered is a core value for nursing. Patient centered-care has been related to patient and health provider satisfaction, better health outcomes, higher quality of care and more efficient health care delivery. Objectives - The purpose was to assess the orientation adopted by nurses and students in patient care, using The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale, as well as to compare the results between resident nurses and students from different academic years. Settings - Public School of Nursing and a Central Hospital, in Lisbon (Portugal). Participants - Students in the first, second and fourth year of nursing school and nurses participated in the study. Methods - For data collection, we used The Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (European Portuguese version), an instrument designed to measure individual preferences toward the dimension of caring a sharing in health professional-patient relationship. Students and nurses also filled out two additional questions about their perception of competence in technical and communication skills. Additional demographic information was also collected, including gender, age, academic year and length of professional experience. Results - A total of 525 students (84.7% female) and 108 nurses (77.8% female) participated in this study. In general, caring sub-scores, measuring the preference of about attending to patient emotional aspects, were higher than sharing sub-scores, measuring beliefs about giving information and perceiving patient as a member of the health team. Students were significantly more patient-centered throughout their nursing education (p<0.001). Comparing to students in the second and fourth academic years (p<0.001) nurses' scores were significantly lower both in total PPOS and in caring and sharing subscales. Conclusions - These results reinforce the idea that patient centeredness may be developed in academic context. The scores obtained highlight the importance of studies that aim to identify factors that may explain the decrease of patient centeredness in professional practice.

Harvesting dynamic aspects from a real rational map : the bulb of period 5

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Assessment of genotoxicity in oral epithelial cells of health professionals occupationally exposed to ionizing radiations

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ambiente, Saúde e Segurança.

Pubalgia num atleta de futebol: estudo de caso

Introdução: No fu tebol os atletas são submetidos a um grande número de treinos e jogos, não havendo muitas vezes tempo necessário para o repouso ou alongamentos, estes factores predispõem o aparecimento de lesões incapacitantes como a pubalgia. O fisioterapeuta deverá realizar uma correcta avaliação e interpretação dos sintomas e das alterações posturais e biomecânicas do paciente com pubalgia. Objectivo: Através deste estudo de caso pretende-se descrever a avaliação e intervenção num caso de um jogador de fu tebol com pubalgia, salientando o processo de raciocínio clín ico desenvolvido ao longo do tratamento. Intervenção: Após a avaliação inicial, foi estabelecido, em conjunto com o atleta, um plano de tratamento por um períodlo de cinco semanas com três sessões semanais e exercícios durante os restantes dias. A intervenção visou a diminuição da dor, normalização das alterações articu lares, reforço da musculatu ra enfraquecida, promoção da estabilidade lombopélvica, restabelecimento da mobilidade das cadeias musculares encurtadas e retorno à actividade desportiva. Resultados: Verificou-se uma diminuição da dor, associada a um aumento de flexibilidade e de força. Conclusão: Através da abordagem pelo conceito de cadeias lesionais associado ao tratamento global de fisioterapia (exercícios terapêuticos, electroterapia, massagem), obteve-se melhorias clinicamente importantes num período de cinco semanas, verificando-se no fim do tratamento a ausência de sintomatologia, o que permitiu o retorno do atleta à actividade desportiva.

Avaliação de desempenho ambiental da Câmara Municipal da Ribeira Grande (São Miguel, Açores) : água e resíduos

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ambiente, Saúde e Segurança.

Comportamento do tronco na fase inicial da sequência de movimento de sentado para de pé, em indivíduos com Acidente Vascular Encefálico, em fase aguda

As alterações do controlo postural do tronco observadas em indivíduos pós acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) podem traduzir-se em dificuldades na realização da sequência de movimento de sentado para de pé (STS). Desta forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever o comportamento do tronco, durante a primeira fase do STS, em cinco indivíduos pós-AVE, em fase aguda. Para tal, os indivíduos foram avaliados em dois momentos, antes (M0) e após (M1) um período de intervenção de 3 meses. Recorreu-se ao Software de Avaliação Postural (SAPo) para analisar o deslocamento do tronco no sentido anterior, bem como a simetria entre hemitronco contralesional vs. ipsilesional. Avaliou-se também o controlo postural e equilíbrio através das Escala de Avaliação Postural para Pacientes com Sequelas de AVE (PASS) e Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg (EEB), respetivamente. Para cada indivíduo foi desenvolvido um processo de raciocínio clínico tendo por base a avaliação observacional de componentes do movimento. Os resultados evidenciaram uma diminuição do deslocamento do tronco entre M0 e M1, em três dos cinco indivíduos, no que se refere ao ângulo do plano horizontal - EIPS - ângulo inferior da omoplata e do plano horizontal – EIPS – acrómio; outro dos indivíduos, no M0 não foi capaz de realizar o deslocamento do tronco, mas concluiu-o em M1; e outro indivíduo aumentou esse deslocamento nos dois ângulos. Em relação à diferença das distâncias entre o hemitronco contralesional vs ipsilesional, para o ângulo superior da omoplata e C7, estes resultados diminuíram de M0 para M1 em todos os indivíduos. Em quatro dos cinco indivíduos, as diferenças das distâncias para o ângulo inferior da omoplata e T7 e o ângulo inferior da omoplata e a EIPS, entre o hemitronco contralesional vs ipsilesional também diminuíram no M1 comparativamente ao M0. Foi ainda possível observar que todos os indivíduos apresentaram uma melhor extensão linear do tronco na posição inicial de sentado em M1 comparativamente a M0. Para as escalas aplicadas, PASS e EEB, a maioria dos indivíduos em estudo duplicou em M1 a pontuação obtida em M0. Concluindo, os participantes do estudo evidenciaram um menor deslocamento anterior do tronco durante o STS, assim como, uma maior simetria entre os dois hemitroncos, após uma intervenção de fisioterapia baseada nos princípios do conceito de Bobath.

Complementarity of conventional and molecular methods in the assessment of fungal contamination caused by Aspergillus fumigatus complex in one Portuguese composting plant

The handling of waste and compost that occurs frequently in composting plants (compost turning, shredding, and screening) has been shown to be responsible for the release of dust and air borne microorganisms and their compounds in the air. Thermophilic fungi, such as A. fumigatus, have been reported and this kind of contamination in composting facilities has been associated with increased respiratory symptoms among compost workers. This study intended to characterize fungal contamination in a totally indoor composting plant located in Portugal. Besides conventional methods, molecular biology was also applied to overcome eventual limitations.

Global material analysis on phosphorus flows, supply horizon and impact assessment on phosphorus depletion

Different problems are daily discuss on environmental aspects such acid rain, eutrophication, global warming and an others problems. Rarely do we find some discussions about phosphorus problematic. Through the years the phosphorus as been a real problem and must be more discussed. On this thesis was done a global material flow analysis of phosphorus, based on data from the year 2004, the production of phosphate rock in that year was 18.9 million tones, almost this amount it was used as fertilizer on the soil and the plants only can uptake, on average, 20% of the input of fertilizer to grow up, the remainder is lost for the phosphorus soil. In the phosphorus soil there is equilibrium between the phosphorus available to uptake from the plants and the phosphorus associate with other compounds, this equilibrium depends of the kind of soil and is related with the soil pH. A reserve inventory was done and we have 15,000 million tones as reserve, the amount that is economical available. The reserve base is estimated in 47,000 million tones. The major reserves can be found in Morocco and Western Sahara, United Sates, China and South Africa. The reserve estimated in 2009 was 15,000 million tone of phosphate rock or 1,963 million tone of P. If every year the mined phosphate rock is around 22 Mt/yr (phosphorus production on 2008 USGS 2009), and each year the consumption of phosphorus increases because of the food demand, the reserves of phosphate rock will be finished in about 90 years, or maybe even less. About the value/impact assessment was done a qualitative analysis, if on the future we don’t have more phosphate rock to produce fertilizers, it is expected a drop on the crops yields, each depends of the kind of the soil and the impact on the humans feed and animal production will not be a relevant problem. We can recovery phosphorus from different waste streams such as ploughing crop residues back into the soil, Food processing plants and food retailers, Human and animal excreta, Meat and bone meal, Manure fibre, Sewage sludge and wastewater. Some of these examples are developed in the paper.