Análise da capacidade de resposta, transporte e evacuação: contribuição para o estudo do risco vulcânico no concelho de Ponta Delgada

Dissertação de Mestrado, Geologia do Ambiente e Sociedade, 20 de dezembro de 2023, Universidade dos Açores.Os principais perigos naturais que têm afetado o arquipélago dos Açores ao longo da sua história são os geológicos (essencialmente sismos, erupções vulcânicas, emissões gasosas e movimentos de vertente) e os hidrometeorológicos (cheias e inundações). Nos últimos 600 anos foram contabilizadas, neste arquipélago, 28 erupções vulcânicas que resultaram em cerca de 250 fatalidades, para além de danos materiais. Estes acontecimentos destacam a importância de se estudar os diferentes tipos de perigos e de se desenvolverem planos de ação para uma melhor capacidade de resposta, e assim, mitigar o risco. A definição de planos de evacuação para a freguesia de Arrifes (concelho de Ponta Delgada, ilha de São Miguel, Açores), tendo como base um cenário de erupção vulcânica do tipo havaiana e/ou estromboliana, constitui o foco do presente trabalho. O estudo centra-se no Sistema Vulcânico Fissural dos Picos (SVFP), uma das sete unidades vulcanológicas que formam a ilha de São Miguel. O SVFP é caraterizado pela presença de cones de escórias e escoadas lávicas basálticas (s.l.). Neste sentido, o cenário de erupção vulcânica selecionado é do tipo havaiana/estromboliana com desenvolvimento de uma escoada lávica com impacto na zona sul (S) da freguesia de Arrifes. A seleção do melhor percurso de evacuação na iminência de uma erupção vulcânica considera a existência de três cenários relativamente à capacidade dos pontos de encontro, nomeadamente: (1) ausência de restrições; (2) com uma restrição de 250 veículos; e (3) com uma restrição de 150 veículos por ponto de encontro. Os cenários desenvolvidos possibilitam também quantificar o tempo necessário para evacuar a população, com pressuposto que a mesma ocorreria durante o período noturno. A modelação é efetuada com recurso ao software ArcGIS® e utilizam-se os dados do edificado e da população da freguesia de Arrifes (carta militar da ilha de São Miguel (2002) à escala 1:25 000, Instituto Nacional de Estatística de Portugal), assim como os pontos de encontro estabelecidos no Plano Municipal de Emergência de Proteção Civil de Ponta Delgada (PMEPCPDL) de 2014. As ferramentas de Network Analysis (Closest Facility e Location-Allocation) permitem efetuar a análise do percurso entre as habitações e os pontos de encontro. A análise da informação decorrente da aplicação das ferramentas supramencionadas permite o cálculo do tempo total de evacuação da zona S de Arrifes para os três cenários explorados neste estudo. O congestionamento das estradas a um terço e a dois terços da sua capacidade é também avaliado para cada um dos cenários. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que, independentemente do congestionamento, a aplicação das restrições no número de veículos nos pontos de encontro permite uma evacuação total mais eficaz. Dos cenários considerados, o mais eficiente é o que impõe uma limitação de 150 veículos por ponto de encontro, porque promove uma maior dispersão da população, diminuindo o tempo total de evacuação (um máximo de 39 minutos, com congestionamento de dois terços da estrada). A metodologia desenvolvida possibilita avaliar a eficácia da evacuação e caracterizar as suas diversas rotas, assim como quantificar as solicitações dos diferentes pontos de encontro e, ainda, estimar a importância ou irrelevância de alguns. Esta metodologia constitui uma ferramenta útil para a gestão de crises, quer durante as fases de preparação, quer nas fases de reposta.ABSTRACT: Throughout its history, the Azores archipelago has been mainly affected by natural hazards of a geological nature (namely earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, gas emissions, and landslides) as well as hydro-meteorological (viz. floods and inundations). In the past 600 years, 28 eruptions have been documented in the archipelago, resulting in about 250 fatalities as well as extensive property/infrastructure damage. These events emphasize the need for researching these hazards and develop strategies to improve the emergency response capacity, as well as risk mitigation. The aim of this study is the development of evacuation plans for the parish of Arrifes (municipality of Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores), based on Hawaiian and/or Strombolian volcanic eruption scenarios. The research focuses on the Picos’ Fissural Volcanic System (PFVS), which is one of the seven volcanological units that compose the island of São Miguel. This system is characterized by presence of scoria cones and basaltic lava flows (s.l.). Accordingly, the selected volcanic eruption scenario is of the Hawaiian/Strombolian type, with a lava flow developing and having an impact in the Southern (S) part of the parish of Arrifes. The selection of the best evacuation route in the case of an imminent volcanic eruption considers three scenarios with regards to the capacity of the meeting points. They are: (1) no restrictions; (2) with a restriction of 250 vehicles; (3) with a restriction of 150 vehicles per meeting point. The assessed generated also allow for the quantification of the necessary time frame to evacuate the population, under the assumption that the emergency occurs during the night. The modelling is carried out using ArcGIS® software and uses data from the parish of Arrifes' buildings and population (military map of São Miguel Island (2002) at a scale of 1:25 000; National Institute of Statistics of Portugal), as well as the meeting points established in the Municipal Civil Protection Emergency Plan of Ponta Delgada (PMEPCPDL “acronym in portuguese”), of 2014. The Network Analysis tools (Closest Facility and Location-Allocation) allow for the assessment of the route between the households and the meeting points. The analysis of the information obtained from the aforementioned tools, enables an estimation of the overall evacuation time of the Arrifes S zone for the three suggested scenarios. For each scenario, the congestion of the roadways at one-third and two-thirds of their capacity is also considered. The results reveal that, regardless of the congestion, limiting the number of vehicles at the meeting points allows for a more effective overall evacuation. The study shows that the most efficient scenario is the one that sets a limit of 150 vehicles per meeting point, because it promotes population dispersion, resulting in a decrease in the overall evacuation time (a maximum 39 minutes with two-thirds of congestion). The developed methodology allows for the evaluation of the evacuation's success and the characterization of its numerous paths, as well as quantifying the needs of the various meeting points and estimating the importance or irrelevance of some of these locations. As a result, the established approach is a valuable tool for crisis management throughout both the preparation and response phases

The contribution of 7q33 copy number variations for intellectual disability

Copy number variations (CNVs) at the 7q33 cytoband are very rarely described in the literature, and almost all of the cases comprise large deletions affecting more than just the q33 segment. We report seven patients (two families with two siblings and their affected mother and one unrelated patient) with neurodevelopmental delay associated with CNVs in 7q33 alone. All the patients presented mild to moderate intellectual disability (ID), dysmorphic features, and a behavioral phenotype characterized by aggressiveness and disinhibition. One family presents a small duplication in cis affecting CALD1 and AGBL3 genes, while the other four patients carry two larger deletions encompassing EXOC4, CALD1, AGBL3, and CNOT4. This work helps to refine the phenotype and narrow the minimal critical region involved in 7q33 CNVs. Comparison with similar cases and functional studies should help us clarify the relevance of the deleted genes for ID and behavioral alterations.FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the projects PIC/IC/83026/2007, PIC/IC/83013/2007, and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038. This work has also been funded by the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Permanent education in health: a review

OBJECTIVE : To undertake a meta-synthesis of the literature on the main concepts and practices related to permanent education in health. METHODS : A bibliographical search was conducted for original articles in the PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, IBECS and SciELO databases, using the following search terms: “public health professional education”, “permanent education”, “continuing education”, “permanent education health”. Of the 590 articles identified, after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 were selected for further analysis, grouped according to the criteria of key elements, and then underwent meta-synthesis. RESULTS : The 48 original publications were classified according to four thematic units of key elements: 1) concepts, 2) strategies and difficulties, 3) public policies and 4) educational institutions. Three main conceptions of permanent education in health were found: problem-focused and team work, directly related to continuing education and education that takes place throughout life. The main strategies for executing permanent education in health are discussion, maintaining an open space for permanent education, and permanent education clusters. The most limiting factor is mainly related to directly or indirect management. Another highlight is the requirement for implementation and maintenance of public policies, and the availability of financial and human resources. The educational institutions need to combine education and service aiming to form critical-reflexive graduates. CONCLUSIONS : The coordination between health and education is based as much on the actions of health services as on management and educational institutions. Thus, it becomes a challenge to implement the teaching-learning processes that are supported by critical-reflexive actions. It is necessary to carry out proposals for permanent education in health involving the participation of health professionals, teachers and educational institutions.OBJETIVO : Realizar metasíntesis de la literatura sobre los principales conceptos y prácticas relacionados con la educación permanente en salud. MÉTODOS : Se realizó búsqueda bibliográfica de artículos originales en las bases de datos PubMed, Web of Science, Lilacs, IBECS y SciELO, utilizando los siguientes descriptores: “ public health professional education”, “permanent education”, “continuing education”, “permanent education health ”. De un total de 590 artículos identificados, posterior a los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, fueron seleccionados 48 para análisis, los cuales fueron sometidos al análisis individual, análisis comparativo, análisis con criterios de agrupamiento de elementos-clave y sometidos a metasíntesis. RESULTADOS : Los 48 artículos originales fueron clasificados como elementos-clave en cuatro unidades temáticas: 1) Concepciones; 2) Estrategias y dificultades; 3) Políticas públicas e 4) Instituciones formadoras. Se encontraron tres concepciones principales de educación permanente en salud: ubicación del problema y enfocarlo en el trabajo en equipo, directamente relacionado con la educación continua y educación que se da a lo largo de la vida. Las principales estrategias para efectivar la educación permanente fueron la ubicación del problema, mantenimiento de espacios para la educación permanente y polos de educación permanente. El mayor factor limitante estuvo relacionado con la gerencia directa o indirecta. Fueron mencionadas la necesidad de implementación y mantenimiento de políticas públicas, así como la disponibilidad de recursos financieros y humanos. Las instituciones formadoras tendrían la necesidad de articular educación y servicio para la formación de egresados críticos-reflexivos. CONCLUSIONES : La articulación educación y salud se encuentra pautada tanto en las acciones de los servicios de salud, cuanto en la gestión y de instituciones formadoras. Así, se torna un desafío implementar procesos de educación-aprendizaje que sean respaldados por acciones crítico-reflexivas. Es necesario realizar propuestas de educación permanente en salud con la participación de profesionales de los servicios, profesores y profesionales de las instituciones de educación.OBJETIVO : Realizar metassíntese da literatura sobre os principais conceitos e práticas relacionados à educação permanente em saúde. MÉTODOS : Foi realizada busca bibliográfica de artigos originais nas bases de dados PubMed, Web of Science, Lilacs, IBECS e SciELO, utilizando os seguintes descritores: “ public health professional education ”, “ permanent education”, “continuing education ”, “ permanent education health ”. De um total de 590 artigos identificados, após os critérios de inclusão e exclusão, foram selecionados 48 para análise, os quais foram submetidos à análise individual, análise comparativa, análise com critérios de agrupamentos de elementos-chave e submetidos à metassíntese. RESULTADOS : Os 48 artigos originais foram classificados como elementos-chave em quatro unidades temáticas: 1) Concepções; 2) Estratégias e dificuldades; 3) Políticas públicas; e 4) Instituições formadoras. Foram encontradas três concepções principais de educação permanente em saúde: problematizadora e focada no trabalho em equipe, diretamente relacionada à educação continuada e educação que se dá ao longo da vida. As principais estratégias para efetivação da educação permanente foram a problematização, manutenção de espaços para a educação permanente e polos de educação permanente. O maior fator limitante foi relacionado à gerência direta ou indireta. Foram indicadas a necessidade de implementação e manutenção de políticas públicas, além de disponibilidade de recursos financeiros e de recursos humanos. As instituições formadoras teriam necessidade de articular ensino e serviço para a formação de egressos críticos-reflexivos. CONCLUSÕES : A articulação educação e saúde encontra-se pautada tanto nas ações dos serviços de saúde, quanto de gestão e de instituições formadoras. Assim, torna-se um desafio implementar processos de ensino-aprendizagem que sejam respaldados por ações crítico-reflexivas. É necessário realizar propostas de educação permanente em saúde com a participação de profissionais dos serviços, professores e profissionais das instituições de ensino

A Replicated Network Approach to 'Big Data' in Ecology

International audienceGlobal environmental change is a pressing issue as evidenced by the rise of extreme weather conditions in many parts of the world, threatening the survival of vulnerable species and habitats. Effective monitoring of climatic and anthropogenic impacts is therefore critical to safeguarding ecosystems, and it would allow us to better understand their response to stressors and predict long-term impacts. Ecological networks provide a biomonitoring framework for examining the system-level response and functioning of an ecosystem, but have been, until recently, constrained by limited empirical data due to the laborious nature of their construction. Hence, most experimental designs have been confined to a single network or a small number of replicate networks, resulting in statistical uncertainty, low resolution, limited spatiotemporal scale and oversimplified assumptions. Advances in data sampling and curation methodologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the Internet 'Cloud', have facilitated the emergence of the 'Big Data' phenomenon in Ecology, enabling the construction of ecological networks to be carried out effectively and efficiently. This provides to ecologists an excellent opportunity to expand the way they study ecological networks. In particular, highly replicated networks are now within our grasp if new NGS technologies are combined with machine learning to develop network building methods. A replicated network approach will allow temporal and spatial variations embedded in the data to be taken into consideration, overcoming the limitations in the current 'single network' approach. We are still at the embryonic stage in exploring replicated networks, and with these new opportunities we also face new challenges. In this chapter, we discuss some of these challenges and highlight potential approaches that will help us build and analyse replicated networks to better understand how complex ecosystems operate, and the services and functioning they provide, paving the way for deciphering ecological big data reliably in the future

Práticas artísticas no ensino básico e secundário

O crescimento carece de uma pedagogia, e educar é ao mesmo tempo algo de muito antigo, e de muito diferente. Neste ensejo, assinalam-se dois polos: o professor, os alunos. Mas a educação faz-se num contexto social, cultural, tecnológico, ambiental. Sobre isto conhecem-se alguns pontos de fixação que tornam a educação mais consequente e humanista. A Matéria-Prima, na Educação Artística, é exatamente o que parece: os materiais à espera de serem utilizados, os processos experimentados, as vivências significadas e sentidas. O professor de artes tem uma grande possibilidade de diferença.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic