Determinants of paediatric asthma: a three-level approach

Tese de doutoramento em Ciências Biomédicas, apresentada ao Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto, 2021Orientador Professor André Moreira (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto); Coorientadores: Professor Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes (Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto); Doutora Joana Madureira (Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto); Professora Idalina Beirão (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto)During the 20th century, urbanization has increasing and represented a major demographic and environmental change in developed countries. Urban living may offer a greater possibility to better health care, education and social services, but is also associated with increased exposure to air pollution, outdoors and indoors, loss of natural environments and biodiversity and lifestyle changes. Furthermore, this ever-changing urban environment has an impact on diseases patterns and prevalence, namely on noncommunicable diseases, such as asthma and allergy, and poses many challenges to understand the relationship between the changing on the urban environment and the children health. The overall aim of this thesis was to study the role of the environmental determinants of paediatric asthma.Ao longo do último século observou-se uma tendência crescente e rápida na urbanização, representando uma grande mudança demográfica e ambiental, principalmente nos países desenvolvidos. Apesar das cidades poderem oferecer oportunidades de acesso aos serviços de saúde, educação e sociais, estão também associadas a um aumento da exposição à poluição do ar, no exterior e no interior, diminuição de ambientes naturais e da biodiversidade e alterações nos estilos de vida. A alteração crescente do meio ambiente está igualmente associada ao aumento da prevalência de algumas doenças, nomeadamente, de doenças crónicas como a asma e as alergias e, representando por isso diversos desafios na compreensão da relação entre as mudanças no ambiente na saúde das crianças. O objetivo da presente tese é investigar o papel dos determinantes ambientais da asma e da alergia pediátrica.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the scholarship SFRH/BD/112269/2015 and by the Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000010 – Health, Comfort and Energy in the Built Environment (HEBE), cofinanced by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE2020), through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), EXALAR 21 project financed by FEDER/FNR and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (EXALAR 21 02/SAICT/2017 - Project nº 30193) and by EAACI Research Fellowship 2018, “How indoor environment can shape human microbiome: culture-independent approaches”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Association between sleep duration and blood pressure in adolescence.

Mestrado em Saúde PúblicaMaster Degree Course in Public Healt

Determinants of paediatric asthma: a three-level approach

Tese de doutoramento em Ciências Biomédicas, apresentada ao Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto, 2021Orientador Professor André Moreira (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto); Coorientadores: Professor Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes (Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto); Doutora Joana Madureira (Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto); Professora Idalina Beirão (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto)During the 20th century, urbanization has increasing and represented a major demographic and environmental change in developed countries. Urban living may offer a greater possibility to better health care, education and social services, but is also associated with increased exposure to air pollution, outdoors and indoors, loss of natural environments and biodiversity and lifestyle changes. Furthermore, this ever-changing urban environment has an impact on diseases patterns and prevalence, namely on noncommunicable diseases, such as asthma and allergy, and poses many challenges to understand the relationship between the changing on the urban environment and the children health. The overall aim of this thesis was to study the role of the environmental determinants of paediatric asthma.Ao longo do último século observou-se uma tendência crescente e rápida na urbanização, representando uma grande mudança demográfica e ambiental, principalmente nos países desenvolvidos. Apesar das cidades poderem oferecer oportunidades de acesso aos serviços de saúde, educação e sociais, estão também associadas a um aumento da exposição à poluição do ar, no exterior e no interior, diminuição de ambientes naturais e da biodiversidade e alterações nos estilos de vida. A alteração crescente do meio ambiente está igualmente associada ao aumento da prevalência de algumas doenças, nomeadamente, de doenças crónicas como a asma e as alergias e, representando por isso diversos desafios na compreensão da relação entre as mudanças no ambiente na saúde das crianças. O objetivo da presente tese é investigar o papel dos determinantes ambientais da asma e da alergia pediátrica.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the scholarship SFRH/BD/112269/2015 and by the Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000010 – Health, Comfort and Energy in the Built Environment (HEBE), cofinanced by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE2020), through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), EXALAR 21 project financed by FEDER/FNR and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (EXALAR 21 02/SAICT/2017 - Project nº 30193) and by EAACI Research Fellowship 2018, “How indoor environment can shape human microbiome: culture-independent approaches”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Atividade hoteleira: a contabilidade de gestão como ferramenta de apoio à gestão da empresa – DoubleTree by Hilton Lisbon – Fontana Park

Na atualidade, é considerado imprescindível para que uma empresa mantenha os seus níveis de competitividade e sustentabilidade, a utilização de sistemas de informação adequados à sua gestão. Um sistema que permite alcançar estes objetivos é o USALI. Neste sentido, foi efetuado um estudo sobre a utilização do mesmo pelas empresas hoteleiras em Portugal, tendo-se concluído que embora corresponda às necessidades de informação, é necessário o desenvolvimento de um sistema totalmente compatível com o sistema contabilístico nacional. O estágio curricular, relativo ao segundo ano de Mestrado em Turismo – Gestão de Operações, teve a duração de oito meses e dividiu-se em duas fases, com passagens pelo o economato e pelo gabinete Financeiro do DoubleTree by Hilton Lisbon – Fontana Park. Os objetivos inicialmente traçados foram amplamente ultrapassados, conseguindo além de executar as minhas tarefas, complementar o meu estágio adquirindo competências em diversas áreas e políticas da cadeia hoteleira, através da formação disponibilizada pela Hilton University

Children's health and indoor air quality in primary schools and homes in Portugal-Study design

The main aim of the research project "On the Contribution of Schools to Children's Overall Indoor Air Exposure" is to study associations between adverse health effects, namely, allergy, asthma, and respiratory symptoms, and indoor air pollutants to which children are exposed to in primary schools and homes. Specifically, this investigation reports on the design of the study and methods used for data collection within the research project and discusses factors that need to be considered when designing such a study. Further, preliminary findings concerning descriptors of selected characteristics in schools and homes, the study population, and clinical examination are presented. The research project was designed in two phases. In the first phase, 20 public primary schools were selected and a detailed inspection and indoor air quality (IAQ) measurements including volatile organic compounds (VOC), aldehydes, particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), bacteria, fungi, temperature, and relative humidity were conducted. A questionnaire survey of 1600 children of ages 8-9 years was undertaken and a lung function test, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO), and tear film stability testing were performed. The questionnaire focused on children's health and on the environment in their school and homes. One thousand and ninety-nine questionnaires were returned. In the second phase, a subsample of 68 children was enrolled for further studies, including a walk-through inspection and checklist and an extensive set of IAQ measurements in their homes. The acquired data are relevant to assess children's environmental exposures and health status.This work was supported by Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia through the ARIA project (PTDC/DTP-SAP/1522/2012)

Indoor air quality and atopic sensitization in primary schools: A follow-up study

Background: The onset and exacerbation of allergic diseases and asthma have been associated with poorindoor air quality (IAQ) inside classrooms.Objective: The aim was to investigate how IAQ changed in primary schools after applying indoor air qualityrecommendations, and to explore how these changes influenced allergic sensitization on children.Methods: Total volatile organic compounds, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, CO, temperature and relative humidity inthe indoor and outdoor air of 20 primary schools were measured in 2010–2012. The school staff receivedinstructions on how to improve IAQ in accordance with the SINPHONIE guidelines. Atopy status wasassessed in children attending the participating classrooms by skin prick tests and exhaled nitric oxide.A follow-up sampling campaign was performed in 2014–2015 in the same schools.Results: Indoor PM2.5and PM10concentrations were approximately 40% lower in the follow-up mea-surements (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences regarding outdoor PM concentrations.Nevertheless, PM levels from the follow-up campaign still exceeded the reference value established byPortuguese legislation. Moreover, there were no significant differences in atopic prevalence and FENOvalues between the campaigns.Conclusion: These findings suggest that adoption of the recommendations based on the SINPHONIE guide-lines was particularly successful in reducing PM2.5and PM10in primary schools of Porto. Nevertheless,the schools failed to reduce the levels of other IAQ pollutants, as well as the prevalence of atopic disease.This work was financed by the HEBE project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000010), and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the ARIA project (PTDC/DTP-SAP/1522/2012, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028709) and through the scholarships SFRH/BD/108605/2015, SFRH/BD/112269/2015 and SFRH/BPD/105100/2014.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exposure of children to ultrafine particles in primary schools in Portugal

Children spend a large part of their time at schools, which might be reflected as chronic exposure. Ultrafine particles (UFP) are generally associated with a more severe toxicity compared to fine and coarse particles, due to their ability to penetrate cell membranes. In addition, children tend to be more susceptible to UFP-mediated toxicity compared to adults, due to various factors including undeveloped immune and respiratory systems and inhalation rates. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine indoor UFP number concentrations in Portuguese primary schools. Ultrafine particles were sampled between January and March 2014 in 10 public primary schools (35 classrooms) located in Porto, Portugal. Overall, the average indoor UFP number concentrations were not significantly different from outdoor concentrations (8.69 × 10(3) vs. 9.25 × 10(3) pt/cm(3), respectively; considering 6.5 h of indoor occupancy). Classrooms with distinct characteristics showed different trends of indoor UFP concentrations. The levels of carbon dioxide were negatively correlated with indoor UFP concentrations. Occupational density was significantly and positively correlated with UFP concentrations. Although the obtained results need to be interpreted with caution since there are no guidelines for UFP levels, special attention needs to be given to source control strategies in order to reduce major particle emissions and ensure good indoor air quality.This study was performed in the framework of the ARIA project financed by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/DTP-PA/1522/2012, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028709), the project “E2BE” (NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000036) financed by the Portuguese CCDR-N through the European Union FEDER programme, and the fellowship SFRH/BPD/65722/2009

Applications of Machine Learning in Human Microbiome Studies: A Review on Feature Selection, Biomarker Identification, Disease Prediction and Treatment

The number of microbiome-related studies has notably increased the availability of data on human microbiome composition and function. These studies provide the essential material to deeply explore host-microbiome associations and their relation to the development and progression of various complex diseases. Improved data-analytical tools are needed to exploit all information from these biological datasets, taking into account the peculiarities of microbiome data, i.e., compositional, heterogeneous and sparse nature of these datasets. The possibility of predicting host-phenotypes based on taxonomy-informed feature selection to establish an association between microbiome and predict disease states is beneficial for personalized medicine. In this regard, machine learning (ML) provides new insights into the development of models that can be used to predict outputs, such as classification and prediction in microbiology, infer host phenotypes to predict diseases and use microbial communities to stratify patients by their characterization of state-specific microbial signatures. Here we review the state-of-the-art ML methods and respective software applied in human microbiome studies, performed as part of the COST Action ML4Microbiome activities. This scoping review focuses on the application of ML in microbiome studies related to association and clinical use for diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. Although the data presented here is more related to the bacterial community, many algorithms could be applied in general, regardless of the feature type. This literature and software review covering this broad topic is aligned with the scoping review methodology. The manual identification of data sources has been complemented with: (1) automated publication search through digital libraries of the three major publishers using natural language processing (NLP) Toolkit, and (2) an automated identification of relevant software repositories on GitHub and ranking of the related research papers relying on learning to rank approach