The effects of sodium hypochlorite against selected drinking water-isolated bacteria in planktonic and sessile states

Chlorine is the most commonly used agent for general disinfection, particularly for microbial growth control in drinking water distribution systems. The goals of this study were to understand the effects of chlorine, as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), on bacterial membrane physicochemical properties (surface charge, surface tension and hydrophobicity) and on motility of two emerging pathogens isolated from drinking water, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The effects of NaOCl on the control of single and dual-species monolayer adhered bacteria (2 h incubation) and biofilms (24 h incubation) was also assessed. NaOCl caused significant changes on the surface hydrophobicity and motility of A. calcoaceticus, but not of S. maltophilia. Planktonic and sessile S. maltophilia were significantly more resistant to NaOCl than A. calcoaceticus. Monolayer adhered co-cultures of A. calcoaceticus-S. maltophilia were more resilient than the single species. Oppositely, dual species biofilms were more susceptible to NaOCl than their single species counterparts. In general, biofilm removal and killing demonstrated to be distinct phenomena: total bacterial viability reduction was achieved even if NaOCl at the higher concentrations had a reduced removal efficacy, allowing biofilm reseed. In conclusion, understanding the antimicrobial susceptibility of microorganisms to NaOCl can contribute to the design of effective biofilm control strategies targeting key microorganisms, such as S. maltophilia, and guarantying safe and high-quality drinking water. Moreover, the results reinforce that biofilms should be regarded as chronic contaminants of drinking water distribution systems and accurate methods are needed to quantify their presence as well as strategies complementary/alternative to NaOCl are required to effectively control the microbiological quality of drinking water.This work was financially supported by: Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006939 (Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy – LEPABE funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) – and by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/MEC: Project POMACEA–Inn-INDIGO/0001/2014, SFRH/BD/103810/2014 and SFRH/BPD/81982/2011

Influence of surface copper content on Stenotrophomonas maltophilia biofilm control using chlorine and mechanical stress

This work aimed to evaluate the action of materials with different copper content (0, 57, 96 and 100%) on biofilm formation and control by chlorination and mechanical stress. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from drinking water was used as a model microorganism and biofilms were developed in a rotating cylinder reactor using realism-based shear stress conditions. Biofilms were characterized phenotypically and exposed to three control strategies: 10mg l1 of free chlorine for 10min, an increased shear stress (a fluid velocity of 1.5m s1 for 30s), and a combination of both treatments. These shock treatments were not effective in biofilm control. The benefits from the use of copper surfaces was found essentially in reducing the numbers of non-damaged cells. Copper materials demonstrated better performance in biofilm prevention than chlorine. In general, copper alloys may have a positive public health impact by reducing the number of non-damaged cells in the water delivered after chlorine exposure.This work was the result of the projects: UID/EQU/00511/2019 – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy – LEPABE funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030219; POCI-01-0247-FEDER-035234; POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033298 - funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds (PIDDAC) through FCT/MCTES; NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000005 – LEPABE-2-ECO-INNOVATION, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Grant attributed by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT – to Inês Gomes (SFRH/BD/103810/2014) and to Manuel Simoes (SFRH/BSAB/150379/2019).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Becoming a young farmer in the digital age— An island perspective

This study investigates the career construction paths of young farmers and aims to contribute to the literature on the “young farmer problem.” Of particular relevance is this study’s focus on the potential of islands as a new career landscape in the digital age. Young farmers’ subjective experiences toward careers were analyzed based on narrative interviews, quantitative surveys and expert interviews from two EU islands: Crete and the Azores. Firstly, the study provides insights on the behavioral and cognitive dimensions of the career construction model by identifying followed career paths. Secondly, we turn our focus to the role of digital communications in career construction and, thirdly, the study examines the geographical dimension of the model. We find that involvement with farming entails complex career patterns that evolve into passion. Whether their involvement follows planned or unplanned paths, protean career attitudes, desire to experiment, and a strong sense of career self-concept play significant roles in shaping the career narratives. “Experience” and “management” dimensions of online communication drive the construction of careers as a part of a professional identity mechanism. Our results reveal that the “island effect” (maintaining a part-time farming culture) plays a role in cohesive singular and multiple career self-concepts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Working time and digital transition: A complex and ambiguous relationship

The digital transition underway combines different types of technology: digital, physical and biological. These three families of technologies interact, drawing on the progress in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and creating the opportunity of digitalizing all stages of production and services systems. The increase of digital work represents a deep transformation of economy and society, posing huge challenges to companies, employees and policy makers, and therefore to social scientists. In this context, in European countries, working time regulation has become central to employment policies. The guiding principles of working time management are based on three aspects: the conventional definition of working time flexibility; the development of public measures that aim at making the reduction of working hours advantageous; and the adequacy of working time management to the whole of working life. Advances in information and communication technologies that bring high convenience to personal life are also blurring the lines of work-time and personal time, threatening work-life balance. This situation is raising not only important legal issues, but also ethical considerations related to mandatory or unpaid overtime, and the possibility of employer subtle or explicit coercion. Additionally, the ethicality of unconventional shift work and long work-hour schedules is also at stake in issues like the gender-based inequities related to working hours, and employers' responsibilities for protecting individuals who are not employees from the indirect effects of demanding work schedules, namely affecting the work-family balance. In terms of research methods, after an assessment of the transformations underway, based on literature review and documentary analysis, we will develop a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews, which will allow to analyse the position of different key actors (employers' and trade union confederations) on long working hours and their effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

COVID-19, digital transformation and the expansion of telework in Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically exposed the limits of globalization and the fragility of our societies. On the other hand, it has also accelerated the pace of the digital transformation underway (Schwab, 2016). Notwithstanding the subsequent deep economic crisis, the resilience revealed by the society and the economy owes a lot to a vast range of solutions based in telecommunications and ICT in work organization, services, sales, education and telemedicine. The rapid extension of teleworking represents a major change that is likely to be not fully reversed after the pandemic. In addition to the benefits provided in averting a dramatic blockade (stoppage) of the system, it has also revealed or deepen inequalities among workers, between those who may work from home with adequate access to digital devices and those who cannot. Work-life balance is both a major objective for employees and a big challenge for enterprises. Teleworking may contribute to this balance. It occupies a central place in EU social policies, especially related with the working environment and organization associated with work-life balance, health, performance and workers' perspectives (Eurofound, 2020). In this paper, we will address theoretically and empirically the extension of teleworking and its socioeconomic, legal, and ethical impacts in advanced countries, with a particular focus on the Portuguese case. We will draw on official data and recent surveys carried out by the European Commission agencies, the OECD, the Portuguese Statistical Office, and other entities, such as research institutions, international consultancy companies and employers’ organizations. We will also analyze the return to face-to-face activity after many workers have experienced the flexibility of working from home. These changes may strongly influence the shape of work organization and labour markets landscape in the short-term an in the future and affect society and economy as a whole (Huws, 2017; ILO, 2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trade competition measurement and the choice of measurement indexes

The aim of this paper is to bring a methodological and empirical contribution to the measurement of trade competition. Globalization and the emergence of new poles in the world economy brought changes to the global landscape and consequent increase in international trade. There is a debate in the literature with regard the indexes that are better fit to be applied in empirical examples for the acquirement of relevant results for measurement of trade competition. This measurement will be achieved by observing the levels of structural similarity in distinct areas and at different moments in time. A higher degree of similarity between the export structures implies a stronger competition in destination markets. The values obtained for this measurement are highly relevant for the trade competition topic. Through this study we further explore the measurement of trade competition and comparatively discuss several indexes used in this area of researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Circularity micro-indicators for plastic packaging and their relation to circular economy principles and design tools

Plastic packaging, in the form of films, brought several advantages to the commercialization of products given its lightness and durability. It provided better ergonomics, ease of transport, increased shelf life, and easy handling and use. Despite that, plastic packaging is facing enormous sustainability concerns associated with the traditional practice of linear economy, combined with commonplace irresponsible handling by citizens since it is almost exclusively designed for single-use and its end-of-life (EOL) management is not planned for. To mitigate that, the circularity of plastic packaging must be more clearly studied and evaluated through approaches such as micro-level circular economy (CE) indicators. This paper focuses on the selection of relevant CE micro-indicators specifically for the plastic packaging sector among the plethora of indicators available. Relations are also established between CE micro-indicators and CE guiding principles, as well as the most prevalent Design for X (DfX) approaches, providing new insights into how these different aspects of sustainability can be linked together. Results show three micro-level indicators as the most relevant for circularity calculation in packaging, namely those termed ‘MCI’, ‘VRE’, and ‘CEIP’, because their methodology and approach address most of the CE guiding principles and DfX approaches relevant for the packaging sector. Finally, guidelines and good practices to promote circularity adoption in the plastic packaging sector are highlighted. This work can guide companies aiming to adopt CE micro-indicators in their practical implementation, overcoming the significant knowledge barrier that currently exists

Delirium Pós-Operatório em Cirurgia Vascular

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of Postoperative Delirium and to identify specific perioperative risk factors in patients undergoing Vascular Surgery. Other goals were to study its impact in hospital length of stay and to create an algorithm to deal with patients under suspicion of Postoperative Delirium. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 56 consecutive vascular surgery patients were prospectively evaluated. Exclusion criteria were age less than 18, dementia, abnormal level of consciousness, psychiatric disorder and visual or hearing impairment. Mini Mental State Examination were applied during pre-anesthetic visit. In patients with clinical indicators of delirium the Confusion Assessment Method was applied. Patients were assessed during 5 days after surgery. RESULTS: The overall incidence of delirium was 12,5%, developped mostly by the second to fifth postoperative day. Patients with delirium presented moderate to severe pain. Patients who received combined general and regional anesthesia didn't develop delirium. The median hospital length of stay was 21 in patients with delirium and 7 days in patients without (p 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of postoperative delirium was lower than previously reported. The incidence of delirium was higher in ICU patients and pain was associated with postoperative delirium suggesting the opportunity to control postoperative factores. The development of delirium in the second and fifth day indicated the need for early and more prolonged preventive and diagnosing measures. Clinical and costly considerations of prolonged hospital stay shown in this cohort warrant strong debate strategies to be applied.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Transversal competencies for employability: From higher education to the labour market

Aligning learning goals with the needs of the labour market is a difficult task for universities, especially in the present day. Although organisations seek professionals with flexible and varied skills, universities often underestimate the importance of cross-curricular skills. Thus, this article aims to identify the perception of recent graduates as to the importance of the transversal skills that they acquired and developed at university and the ways in which they are now applied in the work environment. In this exploratory study, we sent a questionnaire to recent graduates that allowed us to analyse the development and applicability of these competencies in organisations. The results are further discussed within the broader framework of how universities adapt to the strong socio-economic challenges that characterise current times and the integration of recent graduates into the labour market.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: Cause of a Cardiogenic Shock

A miocardiopatia de Takotsubo, de etiologia desconhecida, caracteriza-se pela disfunção sistólica súbita e transitória dos segmentos médio-apicais do ventrículo esquerdo, sem doença coronária significativa, com total normalização das alterações segmentares. É mais frequente em mulheres de meia-idade, implicando diagnóstico diferencial com a sindrome coronária aguda. Apresentamos o caso de uma mulher de 59 anos que recorreu ao Serviço de Urgência por dispneia súbita e dor torácica. À admissão apresentava-se em edema pulmonar agudo hipotensivo com necessidade de suporte aminérgico e ventilação invasiva. A avaliação analítica demonstrava elevação dos marcadores cardíacos. Electrocardiogramas seriados em ritmo sinusal com inversão progressiva da onda T nas derivações precordiais (v2 - v6). Ecocardiogramas de controlo revelando acinésia apical com diminuição da função sistólica global, e reversão total das alterações em duas semanas. Admitido choque cardiogénico de etiologia não esclarecida foi excluída doença coronária, sustentando o diagnóstico de miocardiopatia de Takotsubo