Estado nutricional en mujeres gestantes: actividad física, acceso a servicios de salud y complicaciones en el embarazo en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID19

Fil: Medici, Franco. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Nutrición; Argentina.Promover estilos de vida saludable en etapas tempranas de la vida, como realizar actividad física (AF), mantener un estado nutricional (EN) adecuado, y realizar los controles periódicos de salud, pueden brindar numerosos beneficios para la salud materno-infantil. Objetivo: Analizar el tipo de AF, la asistencia a los servicios de salud, el EN y su relación con la ocurrencia de complicaciones en el embarazo en mujeres gestantes que asisten a Maternidades Públicas y Privadas de la Ciudad de Córdoba, durante el desarrollo de la pandemia del COVID19 en el periodo 2020-2021. Métodos: Estudio observacional, correlacional, de corte transversal en una muestra de 83 mujeres que cursaban la segunda mitad del embarazo. Se utilizó un cuestionario autoadministrado semi- estructurado que indagó sobre realización de AF y medidas antropométricas (peso y talla) pregestacional y durante la gestación; asistencia a controles prenatales y variables sociodemográficas. Se ajustaron modelos de regresión logística para valorar la asociación entre la ocurrencia de complicaciones patológicas en el embarazo y la realización de AF pregestacional, el EN (índice de masa corporal -IMC-) y la asistencia a controles con otros profesionales distintos del obstetra, ajustando por la edad de la mujer. Resultados: La adhesión a niveles de AF y EN adecuados se asoció a una menor ocurrencia de complicaciones en la gestación (OR: 0,023 IC95%:0,005-0,855). En se observó una mayor ocurrencia de estas complicaciones ante el incremento del IMC pregestacional (OR: 1,41 IC95%:1,088-1,837). Asimismo, la asistencia a controles con otros profesionales, entre ellos el/la nutricionista, se asoció significativamente a la presencia de complicaciones (OR: 3,85 IC95% 1,001- 33,065). Conclusión: Se destaca la importancia de la AF, un EN adecuado y un abordaje integral de la salud durante el embarazo para prevención de complicaciones patológicas. El rol del/la nutricionista es fundamental para prevenir el desarrollo de complicaciones durante la gestación.Fil: Medici, Franco. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Nutrición; Argentina

Artificial aggregate from non metallic automotive shredder residue

Until 2005 in the European Union (EU) approximately 12 M vehicles were yearly shredded, and 8 or 9 M t/ year of waste was produced. About 14 million tons of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) are foreseen by 2015. This huge amount of waste must be treated and disposed of in a sustainable way. The most common treatment technologies, involve ELVs shredding to recover iron and steel (70%) and non ferrous metals (5%) from vehicles. The remaining fraction, called Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR), and representing about 25% wt. of each vehicle, is generally landfilled. For more than two thirds, this last residue deals with combustible materials (fibers, polyethylene etc..), suitable to be reused as a fuel, but a substantial amount of soil particles, metals, glasses and plastics residues are also present. Consequently, a new sustainable way to reuse ASR is to separate the organic from the inorganic fraction, and use them in combustion plants, gasification and in the cement industry, respectively. Regarding this second way of recovery, several studies have been already successfully performed with the aim of transforming ASR into aggregates for asphalt or cement mixes, by thermal treatment followed by chemical treatment, or by physical processes, such as granulation. In this work, a selected fraction of non metallic automobile shredder residue was immobilized in granules produced at room temperature in a pilot scale granulator. Granules were obtained by mixing selected amount of ASR with a binder (cement or lime) in the presence of additions (fly ash) and admixtures. The final aim of this work was to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete samples produced using the artificial aggregate obtained through different combinations of ASR, fly ash and binder. Additional freeze and thaw tests were finally performed to assess concrete durability along time

Recovery of valuable materials from end-of-life photovoltaic solar panels

The disposal of end-of-life (EOL) photovoltaic solar panels has become a relevant environmental issue as they are considered to be a hazardous electronic waste. On the other hand, enormous benefits are achieved from recovering valuable metals and materials from such waste. Eventually, physical and chemical processing will become the most important stages during the recycling process. A physical treatment including crushing, grinding, and screening was achieved, and it was observed that a fine fraction of −0.25 mm had the maximum percentage of the required materials. Moreover, the optimum chemical treatment conditions were adjusted to reach the maximum recovery of silver, aluminum, and silicon. The synthesis of silicon oxide, silver oxide, alunite, and K-Alum from leachant solution was performed through a simple route. The structural and morphological properties of the prepared materials were defined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM)

Cadmium Removal from Acqueous Solution by Adsorption on Spent Coffee Grounds

Cadmium is a highly toxic element and can cause serious damages to the health of human beings. It is on the seventh position on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR, 2015) list for dangerous elements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have also recognized cadmium as a carcinogen. For all these reasons, in the recent years stringent limits have been set for this element both in industrial and drinking water. In this paper the potential of spent coffee grounds (SCG) for the removal of cadmium from contaminated water was investigated. Batch experiments were performed at different temperatures, i.e. 10, 25 and 40°C on untreated SCG. The size range of the SCG particles studied was ≤ 500 μm. The results obtained showed that the equilibrium of cadmium on SCG was reached after 3 hours. The Langmuir isotherm provided the best correlation for the adsorption process, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 4.48 mg g–1at 10 °C. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the exothermicity and spontaneity of the phenomenon. Kinetic studies have revealed that the cadmium adsorption onto SCG followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model and the activation energy value calculated was of 14.5 kJ mol-1, which have evidenced the physical nature of the process. Overall, this study strongly supports the use of SCG as an effective and economical adsorbent for the removal of cadmium from both industrial and drinking water.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas (CINDECA

A

Abstract:  Fostering a healthy lifestyle early in life, such as doing physical activity (PA), maintaining an adequate nutritional state (NS) and having medical check-ups, can provide multiple benefits for maternal and child’s health. The aim of this work was to analyze the type of PA, the attendance to health services, the NS, and its relationship with the occurrence of complications in pregnant women who attend public and private maternity hospitals in Córdoba city between 2020 and 2021. An observational, correlational and transactional study was carried out in a non-probabilistic sample - a convenience one - of 83 women, who were in the second half of their term of pregnancy at public and private medical centres in Córdoba city. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire inquired about the performance of PA, the anthropometric measurements - weight and height - before and during the term of pregnancy, the attendance to prenatal controls and socio-demographic variables. Logistic regression models were adjusted to women’s age to assess the association between the occurrence of pathological issues during pregnancy, and the performance of PA before the term of pregnancy, the NS - Body Mass Index (BMI) - and the attendance to check-ups with other professionals different than the obstetrician. The adhesion to adequate PA and NS levels was associated to a lower occurrence of problems during pregnancy (OR: 0.023; 95% CI: 0.005-0.855). On the other hand, a higher occurrence was observed due to the increase of the BMI before the term of pregnancy (OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.088-1.837). Likewise, the attendance to check-ups with other professionals - including the nutritionist - was significantly associated to the presence of complications (OR: 3.85; 95% CI 1.001-33.065). The importance of PA and an adequate NS to prevent problems in pregnancy is highlighted. The results also show that women attended - or were referred - to consultations with other professionals from the medical team once the complication was diagnosed. It is essential to promote interdisciplinary work among medical teams to contribute to the prevention of pathologies and to the promotion of maternal and child’s health.Resumen:  Promover estilos de vida saludable en etapas tempranas de la vida, como realizar actividad física (AF), mantener un estado nutricional (EN) adecuado, y realizar los controles periódicos de salud, pueden brindar numerosos beneficios para la salud materno-infantil.  El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar el tipo de AF, la asistencia a los servicios de salud, el EN y su relación con la ocurrencia de complicaciones en el embarazo en mujeres gestantes que asisten a Maternidades Públicas y Privadas de la Ciudad de Córdoba, durante el periodo 2020-2021. Se realizó un estudio observacional, correlacional, de corte transversal en una muestra (no probabilística, por conveniencia) de 83 mujeres que cursaban la segunda mitad del embarazo y eran atendidas en instituciones de salud públicas y privadas de la ciudad de Córdoba. Se utilizó un cuestionario autoadministrado semi-estructurado que indagó sobre realización de AF y medidas antropométricas (peso y talla) pregestacional y durante la gestación; asistencia a controles prenatales y variables sociodemográficas. Se ajustaron modelos de regresión logística para valorar la asociación entre ocurrencia de complicaciones patológicas en el embarazo y la realización de AF pregestacional, el EN (índice de masa corporal -IMC-) y la asistencia a controles con otros profesionales distintos del obstetra, ajustando por la edad de la mujer.   La adhesión a niveles de AF y EN adecuados se asoció a una menor ocurrencia de complicaciones en la gestación (OR: 0,023 IC95%:0,005-0,855). En cambio, se observó una mayor ocurrencia de estas complicaciones ante el incremento del IMC pregestacional (OR: 1,41 IC95%:1,088-1,837). Asimismo, la asistencia a controles con otros profesionales, entre ellos el/la nutricionista, se asoció significativamente a la presencia de complicaciones (OR: 3,85 IC95% 1,001-33,065). Se destaca la importancia de la AF y de un EN adecuado para la prevención de complicaciones en el embarazo. Los resultados evidencian además que las mujeres asistieron (o fueron derivadas) a consultas con otros profesionales del equipo de salud una vez instalada la complicación. Resulta fundamental promover el trabajo interdisciplinario en los equipos de salud a fines de contribuir a la prevención de patologías y la promoción de la salud materno-infantil.

Cadmium Removal from Acqueous Solution by Adsorption on Spent Coffee Grounds

Cadmium is a highly toxic element and can cause serious damages to the health of human beings. It is on the seventh position on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR, 2015) list for dangerous elements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have also recognized cadmium as a carcinogen. For all these reasons, in the recent years stringent limits have been set for this element both in industrial and drinking water. In this paper the potential of spent coffee grounds (SCG) for the removal of cadmium from contaminated water was investigated. Batch experiments were performed at different temperatures, i.e. 10, 25 and 40°C on untreated SCG. The size range of the SCG particles studied was ≤ 500 μm. The results obtained showed that the equilibrium of cadmium on SCG was reached after 3 hours. The Langmuir isotherm provided the best correlation for the adsorption process, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 4.48 mg g–1at 10 °C. Thermodynamic analysis confirmed the exothermicity and spontaneity of the phenomenon. Kinetic studies have revealed that the cadmium adsorption onto SCG followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model and the activation energy value calculated was of 14.5 kJ mol-1, which have evidenced the physical nature of the process. Overall, this study strongly supports the use of SCG as an effective and economical adsorbent for the removal of cadmium from both industrial and drinking water.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas (CINDECA

Biorremediación de aguas contaminadas por actividades agropecuarias: uso de la planta acuática Typha spp. (totora) como organismo fitorremediador

Presentamos estudios que demuestran la relevancia ecológica de esta especie en procesos de fitorremediación de aguas superficiales y humedales.EEA BalcarceFil: Franco, María del Rocío. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina.Fil: Medici, Sandra Karina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente; Argentina.Fil: Okada, Elena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina.Fil: Pérez, Débora Jesabel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina

Thyroid function and age-related macular degeneration: A prospective population-based cohort study - the Rotterdam Study

Background: In animal models, lack of thyroid hormone is associated with cone photoreceptor preservation, while administration of high doses of active thyroid hormone leads to deterioration. The association between thyroid function and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has not been investigated in the general population. Methods: Participants of age ≥55 years from the Rotterdam Study with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and/or free thyroxine (FT4) measurements and AMD assessment were included. We conducted age- and sex-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models to explore the association of TSH or FT4 with AMD, in the full range and in those with TSH (0.4-4.0 mIU/L) and/or FT4 in normal range (11-25 pmol/L). Cox proportional hazards models were performed for the association of TSH or FT4 with retinal pigment alterations (RPA), as an early marker of retinal changes. Multivariable models additionally included cardiovascular risk factors and thyroid peroxidase antibodies positivity. We also performed stratification by age and sex. A bidirectional look-up in genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for thyroid parameters and AMD was performed. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are significantly associated with both phenotypes were identified. Results: We included 5,573 participants with a median follow-up of 6.9 years (interquartile range 4.4-10.8 years). During follow-up 805 people developed AMD. TSH levels were not associated with increased risk of AMD. Within normal range of FT4, participants in the highest FT4 quintile had a 1.34-fold increased risk of developing AMD, compared to individuals in the middle group (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.66). Higher FT4 values in the full range were associated with a higher risk of AMD (hazard ratio 1.04, CI, 1.01-1.06 per 1 pmol/L increase). Higher FT4 levels were similarly associated with a higher risk of RPA. Restricting analyses to euthyroid individuals, additional multivariable models, and stratification did not change estimates. We found a SNP (rs943080) in the VEGF-A gene, associated with AMD, to be significant in the TSH GWAS (P = 1.2 x 10-4). Adding this SNP to multivariable models did not change estimates. Conclusions: Higher FT4 values are associated with increased risk of AMD - even in euthyroid individuals - and increased risk of RPA. Our data suggest an important role of thyroid hormone in pathways leading to AMD

ASSISTÊNCIA DE ENFERMAGEM A DOENTES COM ALTERAÇÕES NA ELIMINAÇÃO DA SECREÇÃO TRAQUEOBRÔNQUICA

Este artigo analisa os mecanismos de defesa do sistema respiratório, com ênfase na atividade muco-ciliar e no reflexo da tosse. Identifica possíveis alterações nestes mecanismos e as complicações pulmonares decorrentes, salientando suas manifestações clínicas, bem como as condutas de enfermagem necessárias à assistência desse doente

Epidemiological and virological investigation of a Norovirus outbreak in a resort in Puglia, Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This paper describes the third large outbreak of Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis reported in the Southern Italy region of Puglia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A matched case control study was conducted, on 19 July 2005, for investigating risk factors, using a structured questionnaire on food consumption. A multivariate analysis was conducted to estimate the adjusted Odds Ratios. Laboratory and environmental investigation were also performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>On the day of the study 41 cases were identified and 41 controls were enrolled. Controls were matched for age and gender. The mean age of the cases was 26 years old, and 58% were female. The clinical pattern of the disease was characterised by the presence of diarrhoea (95%), vomiting (70%), abdominal pain (51%) and fever (32%). Of the 41 cases included in the study, the majority (65%) were residents of Northern Italian regions. No food samples were available for testing. The matched univariate analysis revealed that cases were more likely to have consumed raw mussels, eggs or ice cubes made of tap water than controls. In the multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, having eaten raw mussels or ice became more strongly associated with illness.</p> <p>All of the 20 faecal samples collected were tested for NoVs. Eighteen stools (90% of total examined) were positive by RT-PCR, and sequence analysis performed onto 3 samples confirmed the presence of a GGII NoV. No test specific for NoV was performed on water or food samples.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The most likely hypothesis supported by the findings of the epidemiological investigation was that illness was associated with raw mussels and ice, made with tap water. These hypothesis could not be confirmed by specific microbiologic testing for NoV in food or ice. The lack of clear knowledge of NoV as a major causative agent of epidemic outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Italy is due to the absence of timely reporting of the cases to the local public health offices and the uncommon practice of saving clinical samples for virological analysis after bacteriological testing.</p