Avaliação da qualidade e segurança microbiológica de refeições de sushi prontas a consumir em Portugal

Being a food product that contains perishable ingredients and involves a significant degree of manual handling during preparation, sushi is regarded as a potentially hazardous food, which may lead to foodborne disease outbreaks. In Portugal, consumption of takeaway sushi meals has strongly increased throughout the past few years; however, there is limited information regarding its compliance with food quality standards. Under this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of take-away ready-to-eat sushi meals in Lisbon, Portugal. Sixty- two samples were collected from different origins (restaurant and hypermarket), and each sample was tested for aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, positive coagulase Staphylococci, presumptive Bacillus cereus count, as for detection of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae and V. vulnificus. Results revealed that 48.4% (30/62) were deemed unsatisfactory, 35.5% (22/62) were classified as borderline and only 16.1% (10/62) were considered satisfactory. Even though we did not detect the incidence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms in sushi, the presence of B. cereus and coagulase- positive Staphylococci was detected at unsatisfactory levels. Furthermore, significant differences between the place of origin (restaurant vs. hypermarket) and type of fish were also observed. Overall, the high number of samples classified with a level of microbiological quality “unsatisfactory” and “borderline” highlights the need to review good hygiene practices, as well as the quality of the raw materials used, to obtain a final product with a satisfactory quality and safety levelRESUMO - Por ser um género alimentício que contém ingredientes perecíveis e envolve um grau significativo de manipulação manual durante a sua preparação, o sushi é considerado um alimento potencialmente perigoso, que pode causar surtos de doença de origem alimentar. Em Portugal, o consumo de refeições de sushi prontas a consumir tem aumentado ao longo dos últimos anos. No entanto, a informação sobre o cumprimento das normas de qualidade alimentar é limitada. Neste contexto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade e a segurança microbiológica de refeições de sushi prontas para consumo em take-way, na região de Lisboa, Portugal. Foram colhidas 62 amostras de diferentes origens (restaurante e hipermercado), e em cada amostra foi efetuada a contagem de microrganismos aeróbios mesófilos, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, estafilococos coagulase positiva, Bacillus cereus presuntivos, e deteção de microrganismos patogénicos, tais como: Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae e Vibrio vulnificus. Os resultados revelaram que 48,4% (30/62) das amostras foram consideradas insatisfatórias, 35,5% (22/62) foram classificadas como “borderline” e apenas 16,1% (10/62) foram consideradas como satisfatórias. Embora não tenham sido detetados microrganismos potencialmente patogénicos nas amostras de sushi, a presença de B. cereus e estafilococos coagulase positivos foram detetados em níveis insatisfatórios. Além disso, também foram observadas diferenças significativas entre o local de origem (restaurante vs. hipermercado) e tipo de peixe. No geral, o elevado número de amostras classificadas com um nível de qualidade microbiológica insatisfatória e “borderline” evidência a necessidade de revisão das boas práticas de higiene, bem como da qualidade das matérias- primas utilizadas, para obter um produto final com qualidade e segurança satisfatóriainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010–19: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND: Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. METHODS: The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk–outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. FINDINGS: Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4·45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4·01–4·94) deaths and 105 million (95·0–116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44·4% (41·3–48·4) of all cancer deaths and 42·0% (39·1–45·6) of all DALYs. There were 2·88 million (2·60–3·18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50·6% [47·8–54·1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1·58 million (1·36–1·84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36·3% [32·5–41·3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20·4% (12·6–28·4) and DALYs by 16·8% (8·8–25·0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34·7% [27·9–42·8] and 33·3% [25·8–42·0]). INTERPRETATION: The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden

Evidence of hemispheric specialization in marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) using tympanic membrane thermometry

Recent studies have employed tympanic thermometry to assess lateralization of cognitive and emotional functions in primates. However, no studies using this technique have investigated the possibility of hemispheric specialization in New World monkeys. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate tympanic membrane (TM) temperature asymmetries and their possible correlation with stress responses in marmosets (Callithrix penicillata). Infrared TM thermometry was completed bilaterally in 24 animals (14 males and 10 females) during a stressful situation of capture and restraint. There were no significant differences between gender. A significant negative correlation was observed between TM temperature of the right ear and the number of captures (r = -0.633; P<0.001). Subjects with a more frequent previous history of captures (5 to 9 captures; N = 11) showed lower TM temperature when compared to those with fewer previous captures (1 to 4 captures; N = 13). No differences were observed for the left TM temperature. These results suggest that under intense emotional challenge (capture and restraint) there is a stronger activation of the neural structures situated in the right brain hemisphere. Taken together, the data reveal for the first time evidence of hemispheric specialization in emotional physiological processing in a New World monkey

Peering into microscale details of mountain winds

A grand challenge from the wind energy industry is to provide reliable forecasts on mountain winds several hours in advance at microscale (similar to 100 m) resolution. This requires better microscale wind-energy physics included in forecasting tools, for which field observations are imperative. While mesoscale (similar to 1 km) measurements abound, microscale processes are not monitored in practice nor do plentiful measurements exist at this scale. After a decade of preparation, a group of European and U.S. collaborators conducted a field campaign during 1 May-15 June 2017 in Vale Cobrao in central Portugal to delve into microscale processes in complex terrain. This valley is nestled within a parallel double ridge near the town of Perdigao with dominant wind climatology normal to the ridges, offering a nominally simple yet natural setting for fundamental studies. The dense instrument ensemble deployed covered a similar to 4 km x 4 km swath horizontally and similar to 10 km vertically, with measurement resolutions of tens of meters and seconds. Meteorological data were collected continuously, capturing multiscale flow interactions from synoptic to microscales, diurnal variability, thermal circulation, turbine wake and acoustics, waves, and turbulence. Particularly noteworthy are the extensiveness of the instrument array, space-time scales covered, use of leading-edge multiple-lidar technology alongside conventional tower and remote sensors, fruitful cross-Atlantic partnership, and adaptive management of the campaign. Preliminary data analysis uncovered interesting new phenomena. All data are being archived for public use