Implementation of auditory screening programs at preschool and school age: a way to follow

Introduction: The auditory screening is an evaluation that aims at identifying early any alteration in hearing in order to permit the earliest possible diagnosis. In pre-school and school children, we verify a high pathological prevalence in the middle ear which is asymptomatic in many cases and that can only be detected through the implementation of auditory screening programmes.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hearing loss in the auditory screening programmes at preschool and school age. Methods: The sample consisted of 420 children, aged between 3 to 11, attending pre-school and primary school in a school group in the centre of the country. All the children have undergone an otoscopy, a tympanogram and a pure tone audiogram screening ("pass / fail") ") at the frequencies of 1000Hz, 2000Hz and 4000Hz. The children with cerumen obliterans, those with hearing threshold superior to 20db in at least, one tested frequency in one ear, those who presented a tympanogram type B, uni or bilateral or type C2 in both ears didn’t undergo the screening. The cases that presented a tympanogram type C2 unilateral were submitted to repetition. Results: Although most children (77,6%) passed the screening, we verified that 19% were sent to the Otorhinolaryngologist (ORL) for not having passed the screening and 3,4% of the children were requested to repeat the tympanogram one month and a half later. The children aged 3 to 5 were the ones who failed the screening the most and were sent to ORL consultation -35,7% children aged 3 and 31,4% aged 5. On the other hand, the 10 year-age range was the one that presented the lowest percentage of cases sent to ORL consultation (6, 5%). Conclusion: The auditory screening is a process that should be compulsory in pre-school and school age in order to obtain early diagnosis and intervention, reducing the impact of hearing loss in the global child development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders among health professionals at a hospital in Portugal

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are responsible for morbidity among many health professionals. Objective: To establish the prevalence of self-reported WMSDs among health professionals. Methods: Descriptive and exploratory study with health professionals at a hospital in northern Portugal. Data were collected in December 2017 by means of an electronic questionnaire applied to the total target population (n=435). We applied instruments for sociodemographic characterization, perception of knowledge on ergonomics and manual mobilization of loads, the Patient Handling Burden Scale (PHBS) and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) for self-reporting musculoskeletal symptoms. Results: The sample comprised 105 professionals, mainly nurses and nursing assistants, who exhibited high frequency of symptoms in several body areas, mainly the spine. Conclusions: WMSDs involving health professionals should be considered a problem for health institutions which do not implement interventions beyond traditional training programs, especially multifactorial programs of systemic nature.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A DOCÊNCIA NO ENSINO A DISTÂNCIA: DESAFIOS E POSSIBILIDADES

A docência na modalidade da educação a distância constitui-se o foco central da presente produção. Assim, objetivamos investigar junto aos estudantes de pós-graduação de dois cursos voltados à formação docente, quais as metodologias de trabalho que consideram mais efetivas para a real aprendizagem na modalidade da educação a distância. Lançamos mão da dialética como método de estudo para a pesquisa e realizamos entrevistas online em ambiente virtual de aprendizagem. Os resultados apontaram para a percepção do profundo anseio dos estudantes que recorrem a educação a distância, por aulas dinâmicas com diversificação quanto à utilização de recursos didáticos. Destacou-se, também, o crédito que esses alunos depositam no domínio que o professor apresenta, no que se refere ao conteúdo ministrado, e a importância da interação teoria-prática (contextualização), realizada durante as aulas. Constatamos que ensinar em ambientes digitais de aprendizagem exige do docente muito rigor, no que tange à organização de situações de aprendizagem, planejamento e propostas de atividades; provocando desafios e superando a cada dia aulas pautadas no modelo de transmissão de informações são, de tal forma, expectativas desse público-alvo

Murciano-Granadina goat performance and methane emission after replacing barley grain with fibrous by-products

[ES] El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar los efectos de la sustitución de grano de cebada en la dieta por pulpa de naranja o vainas de soja en el balance de nitrógeno y carbono, las emisiones de metano y el rendimiento de la producción de leche en cabras. Para ello, se seleccionaron doce cabras lecheras Murciano-Granadina y se dividieron en tres grupos basados en un peso corporal similar (42,1 ± 1,2 kg) y la producción de leche (2,16 ± 0,06 kg/cabra/día). El experimento se realizó en un diseño cruzado donde un grupo de cuatro cabras fue alimentado con una ración mixta de grano de cebada, en otro grupo de cuatro cabras se reemplazó el grano de cebada por pulpa de naranja y el último grupo de cuatro cabras se alimentó con soja. Después de la adaptación a las dietas, las cabras se establecieron en jaulas individuales y se analizaron las heces, la orina y la leche. Asimismo, las mediciones de intercambio gaseoso fueron registradas por un sistema móvil de calorimetría en circuito abierto. El consumo de materia seca fue similar en los tres grupos (2,03 kg/d, en promedio). No se observó ninguna influencia de la dieta en el balance energético. Las dietas basadas en pulpa de naranja y cascarilla de soja mostraron una mayor movilización de grasa que en el caso de grano de cebada. El ácido pentadecanoico y el ácido heptadecanoico fueron potenciales biomarcadores de la función del rumen debido a los contenidos más elevados encontrados en la leche de cabras con la dieta de pulpa de naranja y vainas de soja frente al detectado en las cabras con dieta de grano de cebada, lo que sugiere un impacto de estas dietas sobre el metabolismo bacteriano rumen. Esto probablemente esté relacionado con un suministro de nitrógeno inferior en el caso de la dieta de pulpa de naranja para sintetizar proteína microbiana y un mayor contenido de grasa en el caso de la dieta de cascarilla de soja. La sustitución de grano de cereal con subproductos fibrosos no aumentó las emisiones de metano (54,7 L/cabra por día, en promedio). Por lo tanto, se podría utilizar pulpa de naranja y cascarilla de soja en la dieta de las cabras lactantes sin tener un impacto negativo en el rendimiento de la producción de leche.[EN] The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of substituting dietary barley grain with orange pulp or soybean hulls on energy, nitrogen and carbon balance, methane emission and milk performance in dairy goats. Twelve Murciano-Granadina dairy goats in midlactation were selected and divided into three groups based on similar body weight (42.1 +/- 1.2 kg) and milk yield (2.16 +/- 0.060 kg/goat/day). The experiment was conducted in an incomplete crossover design where one group of four goats was fed a mixed ration of barley grain (BRL), another group of four goats replaced barley grain with orange pulp (OP) and the last group of four goats with soybean hulls (SH). After adaptation to diets, the goats were allocated to individual metabolism cages and intake, faeces, urine and milk were recorded and analysed. Then, gas exchange measurements were recorded by a mobile open-circuit indirect calorimetry system using a head box. Dry matter intake was similar for all three groups (2.03 kg/d, on average). No influence of the diet was observed for energy balance and the efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for milk production was 0.61. The OP and SH diets showed greater (P th Symposium on Energy Metabolism. EAAP. Publ. 11. Academic Press, London.Brouwer E (1958) On simple formulae for calculating the heat expenditure and the quantities of carbohydrate and fat metabolized in ruminants, from data on gaseous exchange and urine N. Pages 182–194 in Proc. 1th Symposium on Energy Metabolism. EAAP. Publ. 8. Academic Press, London.Chwalibog, A., Tauson, A.-H., & Thorbek, G. (1997). Quantitative oxidation of nutrients in growing calves. Zeitschrift für Ernährungswissenschaft, 36(4), 313-316. doi:10.1007/bf01617806Casper, D. P., Maiga, H. A., Brouk, M. J., & Schingoethe, D. J. (1999). Synchronization of Carbohydrate and Protein Sources on Fermentation and Passage Rates in Dairy Cows,,. Journal of Dairy Science, 82(8), 1779-1790. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(99)75408-1Aguilera, J. F., Prieto, C., & FonollÁ, J. (1990). Protein and energy metabolism of lactating Granadina goats. British Journal of Nutrition, 63(2), 165-175. doi:10.1079/bjn19900104Tovar-Luna, I., Puchala, R., Sahlu, T., Freetly, H. C., & Goetsch, A. L. (2010). Effects of stage of lactation and dietary concentrate level on energy utilization by Alpine dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science, 93(10), 4818-4828. doi:10.3168/jds.2010-3315Bava, L., Rapetti, L., Crovetto, G. M., Tamburini, A., Sandrucci, A., Galassi, G., & Succi, G. (2001). Effects of a Nonforage Diet on Milk Production, Energy, and Nitrogen Metabolism in Dairy Goats throughout Lactation. Journal of Dairy Science, 84(11), 2450-2459. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(01)74695-4López, M. C., & Fernández, C. (2013). Energy partitioning and substrate oxidation by Murciano-Granadina goats during mid lactation fed soy hulls and corn gluten feed blend as a replacement for corn grain. Journal of Dairy Science, 96(7), 4542-4552. doi:10.3168/jds.2012-6473Palmquist, D. L., & Jenkins, T. C. (1980). Fat in Lactation Rations : Review. Journal of Dairy Science, 63(1), 1-14. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(80)82881-5Kebreab E, Strathe AB, Dijkstra J, Mills JAN, Reynolds CK, Crompton LA, et al. (2010) Energy and protein interactions and their effects on nitrogen excretion in dairy cows. Pages 417–426 in Symp. on Energy and Protein Metabolism and Nutrition, Parma, Italy.Chilliard, Y., Ferlay, A., Rouel, J., & Lamberet, G. (2003). A Review of Nutritional and Physiological Factors Affecting Goat Milk Lipid Synthesis and Lipolysis. Journal of Dairy Science, 86(5), 1751-1770. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(03)73761-8Vlaeminck, B., Fievez, V., Cabrita, A. R. J., Fonseca, A. J. M., & Dewhurst, R. J. (2006). Factors affecting odd- and branched-chain fatty acids in milk: A review. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 131(3-4), 389-417. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.06.017Fievez, V., Colman, E., Castro-Montoya, J. M., Stefanov, I., & Vlaeminck, B. (2012). Milk odd- and branched-chain fatty acids as biomarkers of rumen function—An update. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 172(1-2), 51-65. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.12.008Vlaeminck, B., Gervais, R., Rahman, M. M., Gadeyne, F., Gorniak, M., Doreau, M., & Fievez, V. (2015). Postruminal synthesis modifies the odd- and branched-chain fatty acid profile from the duodenum to milk. Journal of Dairy Science, 98(7), 4829-4840. doi:10.3168/jds.2014-9207Jorjong, S., van Knegsel, A. T. M., Verwaeren, J., Bruckmaier, R. M., De Baets, B., Kemp, B., & Fievez, V. (2015). Milk fatty acids as possible biomarkers to diagnose hyperketonemia in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science, 98(8), 5211-5221. doi:10.3168/jds.2014-8728Ulbricht, T. L. V., & Southgate, D. A. T. (1991). Coronary heart disease: seven dietary factors. The Lancet, 338(8773), 985-992. doi:10.1016/0140-6736(91)91846-mKnapp, J. R., Laur, G. L., Vadas, P. A., Weiss, W. P., & Tricarico, J. M. (2014). Invited review: Enteric methane in dairy cattle production: Quantifying the opportunities and impact of reducing emissions. Journal of Dairy Science, 97(6), 3231-3261. doi:10.3168/jds.2013-7234Angelidaki, I., & Sanders, W. (2004). Assessment of the anaerobic biodegradability of macropollutants. Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology, 3(2), 117-129. doi:10.1007/s11157-004-2502-3Velthof, G. L., Nelemans, J. A., Oenema, O., & Kuikman, P. J. (2005). Gaseous Nitrogen and Carbon Losses from Pig Manure Derived from Different Diets. Journal of Environmental Quality, 34(2), 698-706. doi:10.2134/jeq2005.0698Jarret, G., Cozannet, P., Martinez, J., & Dourmad, J. Y. (2011). Effect of different quality wheat dried distiller’s grain solubles (DDGS) in pig diets on composition of excreta and methane production from faeces and slurry. Livestock Science, 140(1-3), 275-282. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2011.04.006Triolo, J. M., Sommer, S. G., Møller, H. B., Weisbjerg, M. R., & Jiang, X. Y. (2011). A new algorithm to characterize biodegradability of biomass during anaerobic digestion: Influence of lignin concentration on methane production potential. Bioresource Technology, 102(20), 9395-9402. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2011.07.026Klevenhusen, F., Kreuzer, M., & Soliva, C. R. (2010). Enteric and manure-derived methane and nitrogen emissions as well as metabolic energy losses in cows fed balanced diets based on maize, barley or grass hay. animal, 5(03), 450-461. doi:10.1017/s1751731110001795SPEK, J. W., DIJKSTRA, J., VAN DUINKERKEN, G., & BANNINK, A. (2012). A review of factors influencing milk urea concentration and its relationship with urinary urea excretion in lactating dairy cattle. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 151(3), 407-423. doi:10.1017/s0021859612000561Van Knegsel, A. T. M., van den Brand, H., Dijkstra, J., van Straalen, W. M., Heetkamp, M. J. W., Tamminga, S., & Kemp, B. (2007). Dietary Energy Source in Dairy Cows in Early Lactation: Energy Partitioning and Milk Composition. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(3), 1467-1476. doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(07)71632-

Revalorization of Tunisian wild Amaranthaceae halophytes: Nutritional composition variation at two different phenotypes stages

Wild halophytes are traditionally consumed in Tunisia as gourmet vegetables due to their salty taste and organoleptic proprieties. However, their nutritional composition is not deeply studied. The aim of this study was to characterize three Tunisian wild halophytic species (Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq, Halocnemum strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb., and Suaeda fruticosa Forssk) at two different phenotypic stages according to the seasonal variation. Amaranthaceae, is one of the well spread halophytes family shrubs in the world, mainly in Mediterranean countries. The studied wild halophytes are an interesting source of nutrients and could be considered as healthy foods with high levels of dietary fibers (7.63–10.14 g/100 g fw), protein (2.45–4.14 g/100 g fw), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in green phenotypic stage (29.87 %–40.5 %) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in red-violet phenotypic stage (25.4 %–75.26 %), with particular relevance to linolenic acid content (20.7 %–75.22 %). These halophytes are also a good source of minerals, particularly sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium, as well as vitamins C and E, with a major abundance of α-tocopherol.The authors are grateful to the ALIMNOVA Research group (UCM GR105/18) for financial support, as well as to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programmer PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019). C. Pereira contract through the celebration of program-contract foreseen in No. 4, 5 and 6 of article 23º of Decree-Law No. 57/2016, of 29th August, amended by Law No. 57/2017, of 19th July.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Early-life exposure to mycotoxins: the contribution of MYCOMIX and earlyMYCO projects

Artigo baseado no original publicado em: Assunção R, Martins C, Vasco E, Jager A, Oliveira C, Cunha SC, Fernandes JO, Nunes B, Loureiro S, Alvito P. Portuguese children dietary exposure to multiple mycotoxins – An overview of risk assessment under MYCOMIX project. Food Chem Toxicol. 2018;118:399-408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2018.05.040A exposição a contaminantes químicos nos primeiros 1000 dias de vida tem sido associada a alterações de saúde, constituindo um domínio emergente de pesquisa fundamental para o conhecimento do exposoma humano. As micotoxinas produzidas por fungos integram a lista de contaminantes químicos tóxicos presentes nos alimentos e têm efeitos carcinogénicos, nefrotóxicos, hepatotóxicos e imunossupressores. A mucosa intestinal é a primeira barreira biológica encontrada pelos alimentos contaminados por micotoxinas após a ingestão, sendo pouco conhecidos os potenciais efeitos decorrentes de uma exposição humana precoce a estes contaminantes. Estudos recentes obtidos no âmbito do projeto MYCOMIX evidenciaram que as crianças portuguesas até aos 3 anos estão expostas a múltiplas micotoxinas através do consumo de alimentos à base de cereais, o que constitui um risco potencial para a sua saúde. Este estudo revelou a ocorrência de ocratoxina A, zearalenona e deoxinivalenol em, respetivamente, 65%, 48% e 44% das amostras analisadas, confirmando a exposição das crianças a várias micotoxinas através da alimentação. Em virtude da toxicidade associada a estes contaminantes e à particular vulnerabilidade deste grupo populacional, estes resultados abrem novas perspetivas de investigação e reforçam a necessidade de avaliar a exposição precoce das crianças a micotoxinas e o seu potencial impacto na saúde, o que constitui o principal objetivo do projeto earlyMYCO.Exposure to hazardous chemicals during the first 1000 days of life has been linked to an increased risk of a number of health disorders. Early-life exposure to chemicals is an emerging research field that needs to be explored to contribute to the understanding of human exposome. Mycotoxins are food chemical contaminants, well known for their carcinogenic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and immunosuppressive effects. Intestinal mucosa is the first biological barrier encountered by ingested mycotoxins and potential consequences of an early-life exposure to these compounds is poorly documented. Recent studies obtained under the MYCOMIX project showed that Portuguese children up to 3 years old are exposed to multiple mycotoxins through consumption of cereal-based foods, which constitutes a potential health threat. This study revealed the occurrence of ochratoxin A, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol in, respectively, 65%, 48% and 44% of the analyzed samples, confirming children exposure to several mycotoxins through food. Given the toxicity of these compounds and that children are a particularly vulnerable group, there is an urgent need to assess the impact of early-life exposure to mycotoxins and their potential impact on human health, which is the main goal of earlyMYCO project.Projeto MYCOMIX, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PTDC/DTP-FT0/0417/2012). Este trabalho é financiado por fundos nacionais através da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, no âmbito do projeto earlyMYCO (PTDC/MEDTOX/28762/2017) e do CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB /50017/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Factors associated with underreporting of adverse drug reactions by health care professionals: a systematic review update

Introduction Underreporting is a major limitation of the voluntary reporting system of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). A 2009 systematic review showed the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals were strongly related with underreporting of ADRs. Objective Our aim was to update our previous systematic review to determine factors (sociodemographic, knowledge and attitudes) associated with the underreporting of ADRs by healthcare professionals. Methods We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for studies published between 2007 and 2021 that met the following inclusion criteria: (1) published in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish; (2) involving health professionals; and (3) the goal was to evaluate factors associated with underreporting of ADRs through spontaneous reporting. Results Overall, 65 papers were included. While health professional sociodemographic characteristics did not influence underreporting, knowledge and attitudes continue to show a significant effect: (1) ignorance (only serious ADRs need to be reported) in 86.2%; (2) lethargy (procrastination, lack of interest, and other excuses) in 84.6%; (3) complacency (the belief that only well tolerated drugs are allowed on the market) in 46.2%; (4) diffidence (fear of appearing ridiculous for reporting merely suspected ADRs) in 44.6%; and (5) insecurity (it is nearly impossible to determine whether or not a drug is responsible for a specific adverse reaction) in 33.8%, and the absence of feedback in 9.2%. In this review, the non-obligation to reporting and confidentiality emerge as new reasons for underreporting. Conclusions Attitudes regarding the reporting of adverse reactions continue to be the main determinants of underreporting. Even though these are potentially modifiable factors through educational interventions, minimal changes have been observed since 2009Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This study has been funded in part by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) through the project PI19/01006, cofinanced by FEDER, European UnionS

Financeirização e Oligopolização no Ensino Superior Privado-Mercantil Brasileiro: a sestra e a destra numulárias no âmago da educação

The article analyzes the Brazilian higher education segment, especially its private and private-mercantile variants and their financing process by the Public Fund, from 2001 to 2016. It was analyzed the Financialization process, which happened from 2007 onwards by means of administrative reorganization of large private higher education groups, in capital market rentier institutions and oligopolist practitioners through interinstitutional mergers and acquisitions. Methodologically, the article used data from the Anísio Teixeira National Institute of Studies and Educational Research (INEP); of Management Reports of the Ministry of Education (MEC); and the Annual Tax Statements of the Union (DGT), having adopted a quantitative-qualitative bias. It was also analyzed the normative-legal framework created in the country since the 1990s, which began to generate support for the private sector's higher education business, reorganizing its relations with the Union. The data attested that public actions, added to actions by the private sector have produced, in the analyzed period, an extraordinary expansion and physical and capital robustness to its companies. This fact has warped public higher education and reduced its investments.O artigo analisa o segmento de ensino superior brasileiro, especialmente suas variantes, privada e privada-mercantil, e o processo de financiamento destas pelo Fundo Público, do ano 2001 até 2016. Foi analisado o processo de Financeirização, ocorrido de 2007 em diante, pela reorganização administrativa de grandes grupos privados do ensino superior, em instituições rentistas do mercado de capitais, e praticantes da Oligopolização, por meio de fusões e aquisições interinstitucionais. Metodologicamente, o artigo utilizou dados do Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (INEP); dos Relatórios de Gestão do Ministério da Educação (MEC); e dos Demonstrativos de Gastos Tributários Anuais da União (DGT), tendo adotado um viés quanti-qualitativo. Foi analisado, ainda, o arcabouço normativo-legal, criado no País desde a década de 1990, que passou a gerar suporte aos negócios do setor privado do ensino superior, reordenando as relações deste com a União. Os dados atestaram que as ações públicas, somadas às ações do referido setor, produziram, no período analisado, extraordinária expansão e robustez física e de capital às firmas dessa área. Fato que entibiou o ensino superior público, e reduziu seus investimentos

Indicadores de monitoramento e atenção intersetorial e integral ao desenvolvimento infantil / Indicators for monitoring and integral and intersectoral attention to child development

O presente trabalho apresenta os resultados da primeira fase de um projeto de pesquisa financiado pela Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP- 2015/50508-6) e Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, intitulado Monitoramento do Desenvolvimento Infantil à luz do Modelo de Construção de Capacidades Centrado na Família* e que se insere no campo da atenção integral ao Desenvolvimento Infantil (DI) de crianças de zero a três anos e no âmbito das políticas públicas de atenção à infância. O objetivo dessa fase consiste em definir indicadores de monitoramento e atenção intersetorial e integral ao DI. Para tal, foram analisados recentes documentos nacionais, entre eles portarias e leis que abarcam o tema. A análise sistematizada do material resultou em uma lista de critérios que permitem caracterizar os serviços e as práticas relacionadas a novas perspectivas de atenção integral à criança, subsidiadas pelo modelo da intersetorialidade, que envolvem: Visão da criança; Identificação de risco ao Desenvolvimento Infantil; Uso de instrumentos de monitoramento e formação; Avaliação do serviço como promotor do Desenvolvimento Infantil; Intersetorialidade; Acesso das famílias ao serviço e Recursos. Considera-se a relevância da revisão desses documentos, na medida em que pode nortear estudos para compreender como vem se dando o percurso da atenção integral à criança no Brasil, a identificação dos fatores facilitadores e promotores do DI e os modelos de intervenção e detecção de problemas de desenvolvimento da criança na rede de atenção à saúde, educação e serviço social. 

Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart overcome multiple stresses occurring in the poultry production chain : Antibiotics, copper and acids

Poultry meat has been a vehicle of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. Yet, the diversity of selective pressures associated with their maintenance in the poultry-production chain remains poorly explored. We evaluated the susceptibility of Enterococcus spp. from chicken meat collected 20 years apart to antibiotics, metals, acidic pH and peracetic acid-PAA. Contemporary chicken-meat samples (n = 53 batches, each including a pool of neck skin from 10 single carcasses) were collected in a slaughterhouse facility using PAA as disinfectant (March-August 2018, North of Portugal). Broilers were raised in intensive farms (n = 29) using CuSO4 and organic acids as feed additives. Data were compared with that of 67 samples recovered in the same region during 1999-2001. All 2018 samples had multidrug resistant-MDR isolates, with >45 % carrying Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium or Enterococcus gallinarum resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, ampicillin, quinupristin-dalfopristin, ciprofloxa-cin, chloramphenicol or aminoglycosides. Resistance rates were similar (P > 0.05) to those of 1999-2001 samples for all but five antibiotics. The decrease of samples carrying vancomycin-resistant isolates from 46 % to % between 1999-2001 and 2018 was the most striking difference. Isolates from both periods were similarly susceptible to acid pH [minimum-growth pH (4.5-5.0), minimum-survival pH (3.0-4.0)] and to PAA (MIC90 = 100-120 mg/L/MBC90 = 140-160 mg/L; below concentrations used in slaughterhouse). Copper tolerance genes (tcrB and/or cueO) were respectively detected in 21 % and 4 % of 2018 and 1999-2001 samples. The tcrB gene was only detected in E. faecalis (MICCuSO4 > 12 mM), and their genomes were compared with other international ones of chicken origin (PATRIC database), revealing a polyclonal population and a plasmid or chromosomal location for tcrB. The tcrB plasmids shared diverse genetic modules, including multiple antimicrobial resistance genes (e.g. to tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B-MLSB, aminoglycosides, bacitracin, coccidiostats). When in chromosome, the tcrB gene was co-located closely to merA (mercury) genes. Chicken meat remains an important vehicle of MDR Enterococcus spp. able to survive under diverse stresses (e.g. copper, acid) potentially contributing to these bacteria maintenance and flux among animal-environment -humans.Peer reviewe