Giving value to wastes : development of new technological routes to waste management

Apresentação de tecnologias para a valorização de resíduos.Centro para a Valorização de Resíduos (CVR

Putting Portuguese and European data into perspective

Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia.Introduction and Objectives Acute heart failure (AHF) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome requiring urgent therapy. The prognosis is poor after the index hospitalization, with a high risk for rehospitalization and early death. The costs of managing AHF are thus increasing rapidly. A literature review was performed to gather and compare data on prevalence and treatment and to identify gaps in AHF management, based on European and Portuguese studies. Methods A literature search from 1995 to 2014 was conducted in selected databases (BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE). Results and Discussion Seven Portuguese and nine European studies were analyzed. The mean age of AHF patients was ≥65 years and 30-50% were women. Coronary artery disease (42.3% vs. 61.9%) and hypertension (53.3% vs. 76.7%) were identified as primary etiologies in Europe and in Portugal. Similar proportions of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction were found in the Portuguese (19.9-44.7%) and European (32.8-39.1%) studies. Overall, all-cause mortality rates were comparable (six months: 9.3-25.5% vs. 13.5-27.4%; one year: 15.9-31% vs. 17.4-46.5%), as was in-hospital mortality (5.5-14% vs. 3.8-12%) in Portuguese and European studies, respectively. Length of stay was comparable. The studies were performed in very different hospital settings and data on treatment were scarce. Conclusions Gaps were identified in treatment and clinical pathways of patients with AHF. Based on the results of this review, collection and investigation of data on the disease and treatment solutions, training in disease management, and improved organization of healthcare should be the subject of further investment.publishersversionpublishe

Insect gall occurrence in savanna and forest remnant sites of Hidrolândia, GO, Brazil Central

In this study we perform an inventory of the insect galls in savanna and forest sites of Hidrolândia, Goiás, Brazil. We found 150 insect gall morphotypes, distributed on 39 botanical families and 104 plant species. Among the insect galls, 81 gall morphotypes were recorded in the savanna site and 73 in the forest site. The plant taxa richest in insect galls were the family Fabaceae with 22 gall morphotypes, the genus Bauhinia (Fabaceae) with 15, and the species Siparuna guianensis (Siparunaceae) with seven gall morphotypes. We found gall-inducing insects belonging to orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera. The galling insects of family Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were the most common inducing 48.1% of the gall morphotypes. This is the first systematic survey of insect galls realized in the city of Hidrolândia, being this the site with the higher insect gall diversity already cataloged to the Central region of Brazil

Adsorption process onto an innovative eggshell-derived low-cost adsorbent in simulated effluent and real industrial effluents

ISBN 978-989-97429-1-8As the current global trend towards more stringent environmental standards, technical applicability and cost-effectiveness became key factors in the selection of adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment. Adsorption is by far the most versatile and widely used method for the removal of pollutants due to its high removal capacity and ease of operation at large scale. Recently, various low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural waste, industrial by-products or natural materials, have been intensively investigated. In this respect, the eggshells from egg-breaking operations constitute significant waste disposal problems for the food industry, so the development of value-added by-products from this waste is to be welcomed. The egg processing industry is very competitive, with low profit margins due to global competition and cheap imports. Additionally, the costs associated with the egg shell disposal (mainly on landfill sites) are significant, and expected to continue increasing as landfill taxes increase. The aim of the present was to provide an overview on the adsorption process both on simulated and real effluents onto eggshell-derived adsorbent. This was accomplished by analyzing the uptake potential for selected contaminants. Real wastewater effluents were studied to determine the effectiveness of this low cost adsorbent. Results obtained shown that eggshell can remove several pollutants from different types of aqueous systems, with great efficiency

Delphi technique on nursing competence studies: a scoping review

This scoping review was conducted under the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework. It included primary studies published until 30 April 2023, obtained through a systematic search across PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases. The review focused on primary studies that used the Delphi technique in nursing competence research, especially those related to defining core competency frameworks and developing instruments to assess professional competence. The goal was to analyze the different methodological approaches used by authors, synthesize them, and propose recommendations to enhance methodological rigor, reliability, and validity in the application of the Delphi technique. For this purpose, the following review question was established: “What is the available evidence on the use of the Delphi technique in the study of professional competence in nursing?”. The extracted textual elements underwent a content analysis, resulting in dimensions established through an inductive approach. Twenty studies were included, yielding insights into diverse methodological options for conducting Delphi studies, organised around a set of dimensions: (1) preparatory procedures; (2) procedures for accessing and selecting experts; (3) acquisition of expert input; (4) data analysis and consensus; and (5) ethical and legal procedures and guarantees. The study’s limitations include the inability to include certain studies due to a lack of response to requests for clarification from corresponding authors. Additionally, the primary studies’ methodological quality was not assessed, which is another relevant aspect. The study’s results offer valuable insights for researchers intending to utilise the Delphi technique within the context of the research referenced in the included studies. This information encompasses important methodological choices, highlighting their potential benefits and associated risks. The review was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (Registration No: osf.io/kp2vw).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Políticas Públicas para o Turismo Rural Sustentável:uma análise da produção científica

Esse estudo teve como objetivo geral apresentar uma análise de conteúdo em pesquisas no escopo das políticas públicas para o turismo rural no contexto do desenvolvimento rural sustentável junto ao portal de periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES, evidenciando suas características bibliométricas e sociométricas. A pesquisa se enquadrou como exploratória e descritiva, conduzido pelo método indutivo, em uma abordagem quanti-qualitativa, de natureza pura considerando como universo o tema de políticas públicas para o turismo rural no contexto do desenvolvimento rural sustentável. Os procedimentos adotados compreenderam: a) seleção do Portfólio e análise bibliométrica com uso da metodologia Proknow-C; b) análise sociométrica da rede de autores, e c) análise de conteúdo com uso da metodologia de Bardin (2011). Os resultados indicam que há uma inter-relação entre periódicos e pesquisadores, que ainda não há uma rede forte de interação entre os pesquisadores, e que os estudos se deram por meio de estudos de casos concentrados na região nordeste do Brasil e com conclusões apontando, principalmente os pontos positivos e pontos de melhorias nas ações de turismo rural dessas localidades

Caraterização e adesão à terapêutica anti-hipertensiva no Norte de Portugal

A hipertensão arterial encontra-se entre as doenças crónicas não transmissíveis mais prevalentes na população mundial. A adesão à terapêutica anti-hipertensiva contribui para um melhor controlo da doença. Objetivos: Caracterizar o tratamento farmacológico anti-hipertensivo, determinar a prevalência da adesão à terapêutica e fatores associados em hipertensos do norte de Portugal. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo do tipo transversal e descritivo-correlacional, numa amostra de 385 hipertensos do norte de Portugal. O instrumento de recolha de dados utilizado consistiu num questionário de auto-preenchimento com a escala MAT (Medida de Adesão à Terapêutica) validada para a população portuguesa (7 itens com escala de Likert de 1 a 6 pontos, e cujo score médio ≥5 pontos corresponde a “aderente”). Foi usada estatística descritiva, bem como, análise estatística univariada e multivariada, com nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: A idade média dos participantes deste estudo foi de 62,5 anos, variando entre os 19 e os 94 anos, sendo a maioria da amostra constituída por hipertensos do género feminino (70,8%). Como terapêutica anti-hipertensiva em uso, observou-se que 54,0% da amostra tem prescritos medicamentos de marca, em que o mais frequente foi o Lasix® 40mg (5,2%) e como medicamento genérico o Losartan 50mg (4,2%), sendo que o grupo mais prevalente foi dos Antagonistas dos Recetores de Angiotensina (ARA) usado por 33,5% dos hipertensos. Quanto à adesão à terapêutica anti-hipertensiva, a prevalência foi de 93,2%, sendo os indivíduos com mais de 50 anos (p=0,003), profissionalmente ativos ou reformados (p<0,001) quem mais adere à terapêutica. Discussão e Conclusões: Os resultados deste estudo indicam que os hipertensos do norte de Portugal têm uma boa adesão à terapêutica anti-hipertensiva, nomeadamente as pessoas mais velhas e ativas ou reformadas tendem a ser os que se mostram mais preocupados em controlar a sua doença através do uso correto da terapêutica farmacológica prescrita.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antihypertensive therapy adherence, treatment and healthy lifestyle of hypertensive patients from Northern Portugal

Hypertension is among the non-communicable chronic diseases most prevalent in the world. The antihypertensive therapy adherence is important to control hypertension. Objectives: To characterize the pharmacological treatment of hypertensive patients from northern Portugal, estimate the prevalence of antihypertensive therapy adherence and related factors. Methods: This correlational and cross-sectional study was based on a questionnaire, with MAT, FFQ for sodium and IPAQ scales to acess the therapy adherence, eating habits and physical activity, respectively. It was applied to 385 hypertensive patients from northern Portugal. It was used descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The sample consisted mostly of females (70.8%), between 19 and 94 years old, with an average age of 62 years. Angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARA) are the pharmalogical group more used (33.5%). Regarding the consumption of sodium, the most consumed foods were cod, sausages, patties, canned and ham. Most respondents (50.9%) practicing vigorous and/or moderate physical activity. The prevalence of therapy adherence was 93.2%, and more adherent are people aged over 50 years (p=0.003), in active working or retired (p<0.001). Conclusions: The participants of this study present unhealthy eating habits, but overall are physically active. They shows a high prevalence of antihypertensive therapy adherence, among active working or retired people.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

estimativas para o século XXI em Portugal

Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Heart failure is a major public health problem that affects a large number of individuals and is associated with high mortality and morbidity. This study aims to estimate the probable scenario for HF prevalence and its consequences in the short-, medium- and long-term in Portugal. METHODS: This assessment is based on the EPICA (Epidemiology of Heart Failure and Learning) project, which was designed to estimate the prevalence of chronic heart failure in mainland Portugal in 1998. Estimates of heart failure prevalence were performed for individuals aged over 25 years, distributed by age group and gender, based on data from the 2011 Census by Statistics Portugal. RESULTS: The expected demographic changes, particularly the marked aging of the population, mean that a large number of Portuguese will likely be affected by this syndrome. Assuming that current clinical practices are maintained, the prevalence of heart failure in mainland Portugal will increase by 30% by 2035 and by 33% by 2060, compared to 2011, resulting in 479 921 and 494 191 affected individuals, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the large number of heart failure patients expected, it is estimated that the hospitalizations and mortality associated with this syndrome will significantly increase its economic impact. Therefore, it is extremely important to raise awareness of this syndrome, as this will favor diagnosis and early referral of patients, facilitating better management of heart failure and helping to decrease the burden it imposes on Portugal.publishersversionpublishe

o estado da arte depois do estudo SERVE‐HF

Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.Heart failure (HF) is one of the most prevalent conditions worldwide and despite therapeutic advances, its prognosis remains poor. Among the multiple comorbidities in HF, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is frequent and worsens the prognosis. Preliminary observational studies suggested that treatment of SDB could modify the prognosis of HF, and the issue has gained importance in recent years. The diagnosis of SDB is expensive, slow and suboptimal, and there is thus a need for screening devices that are easier to use and validated in this population. The first-line treatment involves optimization of medical therapy for heart failure. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is used in patients who mainly suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. In patients with predominantly central sleep apnea, CPAP is not sufficient and adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV), despite promising results in observational studies, showed no benefit in patients with symptomatic HF and reduced ejection fraction in the SERVE-HF randomized trial; on the contrary, there was unexpectedly increased mortality in the ASV group compared to controls, and so ASV is contraindicated in these patients, calling into question the definition and pathogenesis of SDB and risk stratification in these patients. There are many gaps in the evidence, and so further research is needed to better understand this issue: definitions, simple screening methods, and whether and how to treat SDB in patients with HF.publishersversionpublishe