Volatile Organic Compounds in Healthcare facilities - A study developed in Primary Healthcare Centers in Lisbon

Trabalho apresentado em International Conference in Environmental Health - ICEH2019, 2019, Lisboa, PortugalN/

Comparison of indoor and outdoor fungi and particles in poultry units

A descriptive study was developed in order to compare indoor and outdoor air contamination caused by fungi and particles in seven poultry units. Twenty eight air samples of 25 litters were collected through the impaction method on malt extract agar. Air sampling and particles concentration measurement were done in the interior and also outside premises of the poultries’ pavilions. Regarding the fungal load in the air, indoor concentration of mold was higher than outside air in six poultry units. Twenty eight species / genera of fungi were identified indoor, being Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (40.5%) the most commonly isolated species and Rhizopus sp. (30.0%) the most commonly isolated genus. Concerning outdoor, eighteen species/genera of fungi were isolated, being Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (62.6%) also the most isolated. All the poultry farms analyzed presented indoor fungi different from the ones identified outdoors. Regarding particles’ contamination, PM2.5, PM5.0 and PM10 had a statistically significant difference (Mann-Whitney U test) between the inside and outside of the pavilions, with the inside more contaminated (p=.006; p=.005; p=.005, respectively). The analyzed poultry units are potential reservoirs of substantial amounts of fungi and particles and could therefore free them in the atmospheric air. The developed study showed that indoor air was more contaminated than outdoors, and this can result in emission of potentially pathogenic fungi and particles via aerosols from poultry units to the environment, which may post a considerable risk to public health and contribute to environmental pollution

Prevalence and social-cognitive determinants of the use of performance enhancing substances by Portuguese gymgoers

Background: The use of performance-enhancing substances (PES) occurs among gym goers, which is seen as a public health concern. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of PES use and the social-cognitive determinants whichinfluence the intention to use these substances among gym goers, according to the Theory of Planned Behaviour.Methods: A convenience sample of Portuguese gym goers (n = 453; 61,3% female; 38,7% male) completed an anonymous webbased survey about beliefs, attitudes, social influences and intentions towards use of PES as well as self-reported PESuse. A two-step approach to maximum likelihood, structural equation modelling, multigroup analysis and t-test with the Welch correction for heteroskedastic variances were performed using IBM SPSS/AMOS 24.0.Results: 11.01% of the participants reported PES use. At the structural level, results support attitudes (b = 0.21; p < 0.001), beliefs (b = 0.35, p< 0.001) and subjective norms in predicting intentions to PES use in gym goers with subjective norms (b = 0.50; p <0.001) being its strongest predictor. Moreover, results showed a significant association self-reported PES use and intentions to use (b = 0.66, pp < 0.001). The predictive model was invariant across gender; however, compared to males, females believed less in the performance enhancing effects of PES, were less prone to the influence of significant others and had weaker intentions to use these substances.Conclusion: Preventive interventions should focus on influencing subjective norms, alongside to beliefs and attitudes towards PES use as these variables influence the intention to use PES in this particular population

Use of topical local anesthetics to control pain during treatment of hoof lesions in dairy cows

Research Areas: AgricultureFood Science & TechnologyABSTRACT - Hoof pathologies in dairy cows have a major effect on both production and animal welfare. Trimming of excess or diseased hoof tissue is essential for the treatment of many of these conditions. Trimming hoof lesions can cause severe pain, resulting in adverse behavioral responses with risk for animal and human safety. Interventions are usually carried out by nonveterinary technicians in the absence of pain management training. Pain control during trimming is not only an ethical obligation but also allows for better manipulation and more meticulous treatment. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of Tri-Solfen (Bayer Australia Ltd., Pymble, NSW, Australia), a combination of local anesthetics in a topical gel form, containing lidocaine, bupivacaine, adrenaline, and cetrimide, for the treatment of pain associated with trimming of hoof lesions. Sixty-two Holstein-Frisian cows were selected for trimming at the drying-off period and were visually scored for lameness before entering the chute. After diagnosis of the hoof lesion but before deep trimming was initiated, each animal was randomly distributed to 2 groups: C, usual trimming with no pain control, and T, trimming with a local anesthetic formulation being applied immediately after live corium was exposed. During curative trimming, behavior observation was conducted by 2 observers blind to treatment. In 27 cows, algometry measurements were performed before and after the procedure to assess animal reaction to pressure. Lameness scoring was again performed as the cow left the chute. Nonparametric tests and ANOVA were performed. Results showed that use of the topical anesthetic formulation significantly reduced reaction to trimming and lameness score after trimming when compared with nontreated animals. Algometry values showed increased pressure threshold after application of topical anesthetics. This study suggests that the use of topical local anesthesia with lidocaine and bupivacaine helps reduce pain associated with corrective trimming of severe hoof lesions, enhancing animal welfare and potentially ensuring safety of trimmers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring the genetic origin of Brazilian locally adapted breeds: admixture, population history and relationship with Portuguese and indicine cattle.

The domestication of bovines has given rise to distinct phenotypes resulting in diverse breeds worldwide. Subsequent artificial selection has further enriched the complexity and diversity to cattle sub-species adapting them to their various purposes and evolving environment. Among these cattle sub-species, native Portuguese cattle breeds are considered a repository of biodiversity shaped by genetic and environmental effects accumulated over the years. In Brazil, taurine animals were introduced between the 16th and 17th centuries by the European conquerors to be used for food, leather, and animal traction. Through generations of casual crossings in diverse ecosystems, these animals became adapted to a wide range of environments and displaying varying levels of phenotypic variability and improved fitness to local conditions, hereafter recognized as Iberian-derived Locally Adapted breeds. Thus, we focused in assess 13 cattle breeds representing two geographic origins: Portuguese Iberian cattle and Brazilian Iberian-derived Locally Adapted breeds. The aim is to understand the genetic architecture of Brazilian Iberian-derived Locally Adapted breeds and their potential relationship with Portuguese Iberian cattle and Brazilian indicine breeds. In our study, we observed varying extents of linkage disequilibrium across the evaluated breeds, along with differences in effective population size. Runs of homozygosity analyses revealed different genes associated with common traits, even within a cluster group. For instance, genes related to immune response, such as MAVS (Mertolenga), DTX (Barrosa), ˜ ZBTB16 (Brava de Lide), DUSP22 (Pantaneiro), and IL7R (Caracu Dairy and Caracu Beef). Overall, our results highlight that both populations studied, with their specificities, are crucial sources of animal genetic resource of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture

Growth of lambs of the churraTerra Quente and Churra Badana Sheep Breeds

O presente trabalho teve como objectivo avaliar os pesos, a diferentes idades, de borregos das raças ovinas Churras da Terra Quente e Badana. Baseou-se nos registos de pesos de 140 borregos Churros da Terra Quente e 88 da raça Churra Badana. Os borregos foram pesados ao nascimento e, posteriormente, quinzenalmente, até aos 120 dias de idade, tendo-se calculado os respectivos pesos ajustados aos 15, 30, 45, 60 e 120 dias de idade (PN, P15d, P30d, P45d, P60d e P120d). Procedeu-se a uma análise de variância, com o objectivo de avaliar quais os principais efeitos ambientais que influenciam o peso dos borregos às diferentes idades, com um modelo que incluiu os efeitos do sexo (macho ou fêmea), tipo de parto (simples ou múltiplo), mês do parto (Setembro, Outubro ou Novembro) e peso da mãe ao parto (como covariável). Verificaram-se diferenças significativas entre raças (p<0,01) nos pesos ao nascimento, 90 e 120 dias de idade, observando-se uma superioridade dos borregos da raça Churra da Terra Quente, relativamente aos da raça Badana (PN: 3,51±0,05 vs. 3,22±0,08; P90d: 24,05±0,72 vs. 21,73±0,93; P120d: 28,73±0,73 vs. 26,07±0,52). Porém, não houve diferenças entre raças nos pesos durante o aleitamento, entre os 15 e os 60 dias de vida. O sexo dos borregos influenciou significativamente os pesos destes em qualquer das idades estudadas, registando-se pesos superiores nos machos relativamente aos das fêmeas (P15d: 7,00±0,14 vs. 6,35±0,14; P30d: 10,25±0,20 vs. 9,47± 0,19; P45: 13,98±0,28 vs. 12,90±0,26; P60d: 18,18±0,42 vs. 16,16±0,39; P90d: 24,57±1,21 vs. 21,21±0,57). Registou-se ainda uma superioridade nos pesos dos animais nascidos de partos simples e um efeito significativo do peso da ovelha nos pesos dos borregos até aos 45 dias de idade. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram alguma superioridade nos pesos dos borregos da raça Churra da Terra Quente, relativamente aos da raça Churra Badana, mas apenas no período pós desmame

Comparação microestrutural e mecânica de junta soldada multipasse do aço ASTM a516 grau 70 pelos processos SMAW (eletrodo revestido) e FCAW (arame tubular)

O aço ASTM A-516 Grau 70 apresenta grande aplicação em indústrias petroquímicas e de petróleo, principalmente na fabricação de vasos de pressão, devido às suas excelentes propriedades mecânicas sendo, também, uma opção excelente na aplicação onde a temperatura de trabalho é abaixo da temperatura ambiente. Invariavelmente, a solda está presente na construção de vasos de pressão utilizando este e outros tipos de aço, sendo o processo SMAW tradicional e largamente utilizado para esta finalidade. Neste trabalho, motivados pela virtude do processo de soldagem FCAW apresentar uma maior produtividade do que o processo SMAW, foi avaliado o comportamento mecânico das juntas do aço ASTM A-516 grau 70, soldadas pelo processo FCAW como uma alternativa de aplicação na construção de vasos de pressão para o processo SMAW. O trabalho consistiu na comparação direta entre as propriedades mecânicas obtidas usando os processos SMAW e FCAW respeitando as recomendações e exigências

Genetic diversity in native and commercial breeds of pigs in Portugal assessed by microsatellites

Population structure and genetic diversity in the Portuguese native breeds of pigs Alentejano (AL), Bísaro (BI), and Malhado de Alcobaça (MA) and the exotic breeds Duroc (DU), Landrace (LR), Large White (LW), and Pietrain were analyzed by typing 22 microsatellite markers in 249 individuals. In general, the markers used were greatly polymorphic, with mean total and effective number of alleles per locus of 10.68 and 4.33, respectively, and an expected heterozygosity of 0.667 across loci. The effective number of alleles per locus and expected heterozygosity were greatest in BI, LR, and AL, and least in DU. Private alleles were found in 9 of the 22 markers analyzed, mostly in AL, but also in the other breeds, with the exception of LW. The proportion of loci not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in each breed analyzed ranged between 0.23 (AL) and 0.41 (BI, LW, and Pietrain), mostly because of a less than expected number of heterozygotes in those loci. With the exception of MA, all breeds showed a significant deficit in heterozygosity (F(IS); P < 0.05), which was more pronounced in BI (F(IS) = 0.175) and AL (F(IS) = 0.139), suggesting that inbreeding is a major concern, especially in these breeds that have gone through a genetic bottleneck in the recent past. The analysis of relationships among breeds, assessed by different methods, indicates that DU and AL are the more distanced breeds relative to the others, with the closest relationship being observed between LR and MA. The degree of differentiation between subpopulations (F(ST)) indicates that 0.184 of the total genetic variability can be attributed to differences among breeds. The analysis of individual distances based on allele sharing indicates that animals of the same breed generally cluster together, but subdivision is observed in the BI and LR breeds. Furthermore, the analysis of population structure indicates there is very little admixture among breeds, with each one being identified with a single ancestral population. The results of this study confirm that native breeds of pigs represent a very interesting reservoir of allelic diversity, even though the current levels of inbreeding raise concerns. Therefore, appropriate conservation efforts should be undertaken, such as adopting strategies aimed at minimizing inbreeding, to avoid further losses of genetic diversity

On the origins of American Criollo pigs: A common genetic background with a lasting Iberian signature

American Criollo pigs are thought to descend mainly from those imported from the Iberian Peninsula starting in the late 15th century. Criollo pigs subsequently expanded throughout the Americas, adapting to very diverse environments, and possibly receiving influences from other origins. With the intensification of agriculture in the mid-20th century, cosmopolitan breeds largely replaced Criollo pigs, and the few remaining are mostly maintained by rural communities in marginal areas where they still play an important socio-economic and cultural role. In this study, we used 24 microsatellite markers in samples from 1715 pigs representing 46 breeds with worldwide distribution, including 17 American Criollo breeds, with the major focus of investigating their genetic diversity, structure and breed relationships. We also included representatives of the Iberian, Local British, Hungarian, Chinese and Commercial breeds, as well as Wild Boar, in order to investigate their possible influence in the genetic composition of Criollos. Our results show that, when compared with the other breeds, Criollo pigs present higher levels of genetic diversity, both in terms of allelic diversity and expected heterozygosity. The various analyses indicate that breed differentiation overall explains nearly 21% of the total genetic diversity. Criollo breeds showed their own identity and shared a common genetic background, tending to cluster together in various analyses, even though they differ from each other. A close relationship of Criollos with Iberian breeds was revealed by all the different analyses, and the contribution of Iberian breeds, particularly of the Celtic breeds, is still present in various Criollo breeds. No influence of Chinese breeds was detected on Criollos, but a few were influenced by Commercial breeds or by wild pigs. Our results confirm the uniqueness of American Criollo pigs and the role that Iberian breeds have played in their development. © 2021 Revidatti et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

PfMFR3: A multidrug-resistant modulator in Plasmodium falciparum

In malaria, chemical genetics is a powerful method for assigning function to uncharacterized genes. MMV085203 and GNF-Pf-3600 are two structurally related napthoquinone phenotypic screening hits that kill both blood- and sexual-stag