Sistema de informação laboratorial para o COVID-19

COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, first appeared in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019. It has since spread worldwide and developed into an ongoing pandemic. Currently, COVID-19 does not have a cure, and prevention is the only way to fight against it. During waves of higher infection cases, tracking the infected population becomes a difficult but crucial task. Only a COVID-19 test can diagnose a person, and RT-PCR tests are the most effective. PORTIC, the research centre for P.Porto, started using its laboratory for RT-PCR tests to diagnose COVID-19 for the P.Porto community and some health centres that belong to ARSN. During this process, the laboratory needs to manage all of the sample and testing information and report the test results. This information management became a burden, and the staff would lose most of the time with administrative tasks. This dissertation’s main objective is to develop a laboratory information system for PORTIC. This system must satisfy the elicited and specified requirements. For that purpose, multiple architectures were analysed, concluding that the clean architecture is the best option for this system. The system supports data importation from multiple external sources, report generation and exportation and the entire sample flow. Its development followed a scrum methodology where each requirement was validated through user acceptance tests at the end of each iteration. To evaluate the system’s success, the laboratory answered a questionnaire to determine the perceived usefulness and ease of use. This concluded that the system was successful since the questionnaire determined that it was extremely useful and easy to use. The developed system is an innovation on COVID-19 testing since there are no real options in the market, and different laboratories can reuse the system to tackle COVID-19 testing.A COVID-19, uma doença respiratória causada pelo SARS-CoV-2, apareceu pela primeira vez em Wuhan, China no dia 31 de dezembro de 2019. Desde então, esta doença espalhou-se por todo o mundo, devenvolvendo-se numa pandemia em curso. Atualmente, não existe cura para a COVID-19, sendo que a única maneira de resistir à doença é através da prevenção. Durante as ondas de grandes números de infeções, rastrear a população infetada transformase numa tarefa árdua mas fundamental. A única maneira de diagnósticar a doença é através de um teste de COVID-19, sendo que os testes de RT-PCR são os mais eficazes. O PORTIC, centro de pesquisa do P.Porto, começou a realizar testes de RT-PCR, no seu laboratório, para diagnosticar COVID-19 à comunidade do P.Porto e para alguns centros de saúde que pertencem à ARSN. Durante este processo, o laboratório precisa de gerir toda a informação sobre as amostras e os testes, assim como reportar os resultados dos testes. Esta gestão de informação tornou-se num incómodo e os funcionários passaram a perder a maior parte do seu tempo com tarefas administrativas. O objetivo principal desta dissertação é o desenvolvimento de um sistema de informação de laboratório para o PORTIC. Este sistema deverá cumprir os requisitos elicitados e especificados. Para esse propósito, foram analisadas diferentes arquiteturas, chegando-se à conclusão de que a clean architecture é a opção mais viável para este sistema. O sistema suporta importação de dados de múltiplas fontes externas, geração e exportação de relatórios e todo o fluxo de amostras. O desenvolvimento do sistema seguiu uma metodologia scrum onde cada requisito foi validado através de testes de aceitação do utilizador no final de cada iteração. Para avaliar o sucesso do sistema, o laboratório respondeu a um questionário para determinar a utilidade e facilidade de utilização percecionada. Isto concluiu que o sistema foi bem sucedido dado que o questionário determinou que foi extremamente útil e fácil de utilizar. O sistema desenvolvido é uma inovação em testes de COVID-19 pois não existem opções no mercado e outros laboratórios podem reutilizar o sistema para endereçar os testes de COVID-19

Enfermedades desatendidas y bioética : diálogo de un viejo problema con una nueva área de conocimiento

As doenças negligenciadas representam flagelo persistente no histórico das populações excluídas, sendo, portanto, objeto de interesse da bioética. São classificadas como grupo de doenças infecciosas fortemente associadas às condições de pobreza verificadas, em sua grande maioria, nos países periféricos. O objetivo deste estudo foi aproximar duas áreas do conhecimento por meio de diálogo, a fim de demonstrar que, apesar de específicas, ambas podem atuar de maneira sinérgica. Trata-se de estudo de revisão bibliográfica que procurou aprofundar o tema a partir dos seguintes eixos: 1) conceitos e visões das doenças negligenciadas e da bioética; 2) consequências e contexto das doenças negligenciadas; 3) doenças negligenciadas nos estudos de bioética. Verificou-se o estabelecimento do diálogo, bem como a emergência de elementos que ratificaram a bioética como campo de mediação a ser utilizado na superação do conflito ético que permeia o tema das doenças negligenciadas.Neglected diseases have long been the scourge of excluded populations, and are therefore of particular relevance to the field of bioethics. Neglected diseases are classified as a group of infectious diseases that are strongly associated with conditions of poverty, and are mostly found in peripheral countries. The aim of the present study was to bring together bioethical knowledge and existing knowledge of such diseases, demonstrating that, while they are different, such areas of knowledge can be used synergistically. A bibliographic review was performed with the aim of expanding knowledge of the following areas: 1) concepts and visions of neglected diseases and bioethics; 2) consequences and context of neglected diseases; 3) neglected diseases in bioethical studies. It was found that a dialogue between the two areas exists, and elements were identified confirming the value of bioethics as a mediation tool for overcoming the ethical conflict that permeates the issue of neglected diseases.Las enfermedades desatendidas se muestran como un flagelo persistente históricamente en las poblaciones excluidas, por lo tanto, son de un especial interés para la bioética. Se las clasifican como un grupo de enfermedades infecciosas que están fuertemente asociadas a las condiciones de pobreza verificadas, en su gran mayoría, en los países periféricos. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo aproximar dos áreas de conocimiento por medio de un diálogo abierto con el fin de demostrar que, a pesar de específicas, ellas pueden actuar de manera sinérgica. Se trata de un estudio de revisión bibliográfica que procura profundizar los siguientes ejes: 1) conceptos y visiones de las enfermedades desatendidas y la bioética; 2) consecuencias y contexto de las enfermedades desatendidas; 3) enfermedades desatendidas en los estudios de la bioética. Se verificó que hay un diálogo posible y también la necesidad de elementos que ratifican la bioética como un campo de mediación que debe ser utilizado para la superación del conflicto ético que permea el tema de las enfermedades desatendidas

Identification and quantification of phytochelatins in roots of rice to long-term exposure: evidence of individual role on arsenic accumulation and translocation

Six varieties of rice were exposed to low and high levels of arsenic in the same soil. Their individual responses of expressing phytochelatins have been correlated to inorganic arsenic uptake, transport, and accumulation in the rice grai

Intensidade da dor e nível de depressão em pacientes com disfunção temporomandibular crônica

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between pain intensity and the level of depression in patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Materials and methods: Fifty-five volunteers diagnosed by the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC/TMD) were assessed for pain intensity and level of depression. Pain intensity and level of depression were assessed using a visual analysis scale and Beck depression inventory, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using confidence intervals and Pearson’s chi-square test (p< 0.05). Results: The results demonstrated that non-depressed individuals (43.6%) showed a mean pain intensity of 28.27mm, those with mild depression (38.2%) 34.24mm, and those moderate depression (18.2%) 50.7mm. Statistical analysis showed that there was a positive and significant correlation between pain intensity and level of depression (p=0.004). Discussion: This study found a positive correlation between pain intensity and depression level in chronic TMD patients. However, it has not been elucidated yet how TMD are correlated to depression and in which way depression can influence its onset and perpetuation. Conclusion: The level of depression may play an important role in the intensity of chronic pain, therefore, a multidisciplinary intervention seems to be important for the treatment success.Objetivo: Este estudo objetivou avaliar a correlação entre a intensidade da dor e o nível de depressão em pacientes com disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) crônica. Materiais e métodos: Cinquenta e cinco voluntários diagnosticados pelos Critérios de diagnóstico para pesquisa das disfunções temporomandibulares (RDC / DTM) foram avaliados quanto à intensidade da dor e nível de depressão. A intensidade da dor e o nível de depressão foram avaliados por meio da escala analógica visual e do inventário de depressão de Beck, respectivamente. A análise dos dados foi realizada usando intervalos de confiança e teste do qui-quadrado de Pearson (

Growth and initial development of passion fruit plants in different concentrations of biostimulants

The objective of this research was to evaluate the vegetative growth of yellow passion fruit seedlings, propagated by seeds, regarding the rates of use and application of two biostimulants in two types of soil. The experiment was carried out at the State University of Piauí (UESPI) / Campus de Corrente, with Passiflora edulis as a research culture, on a 50% brightness screen. The completely randomized design consisted of four treatments arranged according to the following application doses (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 mL), using the biostimulant Solofull® and Stimulate® via soil, with six replicates per treatment, totaling 24 units experimental. The soil used came from two situations, soil 1 (area in the process of degradation, Gilbués - PI) and soil 2 (pasture area, Corrente, PI). At 65 days after sowing, height, stem diameter, number of true leaves, leaf area, plant height ratio and stem diameter and root length were evaluated. The data were submitted to analysis of variance. The application of the Stimulate® biostimulant in seedlings produced in soil cultivated by pasture, promoted the best development of the aerial and root system of the plants

Lean manufacturing and ergonomics integration: defining productivity and wellbeing indicators in a human–robot workstation

Lean Manufacturing (LM), Ergonomics and Human Factors (E&HF), and Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) are vibrant topics for researchers and companies. Among other emergent technologies, collaborative robotics is an innovative solution to reduce ergonomic concerns and improve manufacturing productivity. However, there is a lack of studies providing empirical evidence about the implementation of these technologies, with little or no consideration for E&HF. This study analyzes an industrial implementation of a collaborative robotic workstation for assembly tasks performed by workers with musculoskeletal complaints through a synergistic integration of E&HF and LM principles. We assessed the workstation before and after the implementation of robotic technology and measured different key performance indicators (e.g., production rate) through a time study and direct observation. We considered 40 postures adopted during the assembly tasks and applied three assessment methods: Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, Revised Strain Index, and Key Indicator Method. Furthermore, we conducted a questionnaire to collect more indicators of workers’ wellbeing. This multi-method approach demonstrated that the hybrid workstation achieved: (i) a reduction of production times; (ii) an improvement of ergonomic conditions; and (iii) an enhancement of workers’ wellbeing. This ergonomic lean study based on human-centered principles proved to be a valid and efficient method to implement and assess collaborative workstations, foreseeing the continuous improvement of the involved processes.This work has been supported by NORTE-06-3559-FSE-000018; integrated in the invitation NORTE-59-2018-41, aiming at the Hiring of Highly Qualified Human Resources, co-financed by the Regional Operational Programme of the North 2020, thematic area of Competitiveness and Employment, through the European Social Fund (ESF). This work has been also supported by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

Identification and quantification of phytochelatins in roots of rice to long-term exposure: evidence of individual role on arsenic accumulation and translocation

Rice has the predilection to take up arsenic in the form of methylated arsenic (o-As) and inorganic arsenic species (i-As). Plants defend themselves using i-As efflux systems and the production of phytochelatins (PCs) to complex i-As. Our study focused on the identification and quantification of phytochelatins by HPLC-ICP-MS/ESI-MS, relating them to the several variables linked to As exposure. GSH, 11 PCs, and As–PC complexes from the roots of six rice cultivars (Italica Carolina, Dom Sofid, 9524, Kitrana 508, YRL-1, and Lemont) exposed to low and high levels of i-As were compared with total, i-As, and o-As in roots, shoots, and grains. Only Dom Sofid, Kitrana 508, and 9524 were found to produce higher levels of PCs even when exposed to low levels of As. PCs were only correlated to i-As in the roots (r=0.884, P <0.001). However, significant negative correlations to As transfer factors (TF) roots–grains (r= –0.739, P <0.05) and shoots–grains (r= –0.541, P <0.05), suggested that these peptides help in trapping i-As but not o-As in the roots, reducing grains’ i-As. Italica Carolina reduced i-As in grains after high exposure, where some specific PCs had a special role in this reduction. In Lemont, exposure to elevated levels of i-As did not result in higher i-As levels in the grains and there were no significant increases in PCs or thiols. Finally, the high production of PCs in Kitrana 508 and Dom Sofid in response to high As treatment did not relate to a reduction of i-As in grains, suggesting that other mechanisms such as As–PC release and transport seems to be important in determining grain As in these cultivars

Forms of application of nitrogen in different stages of the development of soybean culture / Formas da aplicação de nitrogênio em diferentes estádios do desenvolvimento da cultura da soja

In Brazil, inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and B. elkanii strains is the main form of Nitrogen (N) supply to soybean, but there are reports of the use of mineral N as a complement to biological fixation. The objective was to evaluate the effect of different forms and times of N application on the development and yield of soybean. The treatments include a control without N application and in all other treatments 10 kg ha-1 of N was applied, altering the time (V2, V4, R1 or R2) and the application form, namely, at sowing, broadcast on topdressing or by leaf spraying. The application of N provided an increase in leaf area, dry mass of shoot, number of nodules and dry mass of nodules in treatments with application of N at sowing and N at V2 on topdressing. For plant height, the treatment with N at V2 by leaf spraying was superior compared to control. The weight of one thousand seeds was not affected by N application. For grain yield the treatments with application of N by leaf spraying in V2 and R1 were highlighted. The greatest increase in grain yield on soybean is reached with leaf spraying at V2 stage