Browsing by Author "Fernandes, Ana"
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- Employees balance and stability as key points in organizational performancePublication . Neves, José; Maia, Nuno; Marreiros, Goreti; Neves, Mariana; Fernandes, Ana; Ribeiro, Jorge; Araújo, Isabel; Araújo, Nuno; Ávidos, Liliana; Ferraz, Filipa; Capita, António; Lori, Nicolás; Alves, Victor; Vicente, HenriqueSystem analyses deal with interrelationships between different variables that keep the system in balance. In many analysis of complex thinking, a system is viewed as a complex unit in which the ‘whole’ is not reduced to the ‘sum’ of its parts; the system becomes an ambiguous item because it consists of several entities that interact with unforeseen results or, in other words, it is situated at a transdisciplinary level, it is impossible for an area to have a complete reading of its complexity. It was also mentioned that the concept of the open system best describes complexity by stating that ‘the laws of the organization are not equilibrium, but an imbalance that is restored or compensated for by stabilized dynamics’. This idea originated from the field of thermodynamics and the second law, in which the imbalance that it maintains allows the system for an apparent balance. This fragile steady state has something of a paradox, since the structures remain the same, but their constituents are changeable. The concept of open system undoes the door to a theory of evolution that can only derive from the interactions between a system and its ecosystem. Within this systemic approach, the focus of the analysis takes into account the ambiguity, multidisciplinary and complexity associated with system adjustment, i.e. it is intended to qualify an employee job based on their experience and knowledge as a measure of their impact on the organization performance.
- Ionizing radiation from radiopharmaceuticals and the human gut microbiota: An ex vivo approachPublication . Fernandes, Ana; Oliveira, Ana; Guedes, Carla; Fernandes, Rúben; Soares, Raquel; Barata, PedroThis study aimed to determine the effect of three widely used radiopharmaceuticals with intestinal excretion on selected relevant bacteria that are part of the human gut microbiota, using an ex vivo approach. Fecal samples obtained from healthy volunteers were analyzed. Each sample was divided into four smaller aliquots. One served as the non-irradiated control. The other three were homogenized with three radiopharmaceutical solutions ([131I]NaI, [99mTc]NaTcO4, and [223Ra]RaCl2). Relative quantification of each taxa was determined by the 2−ΔΔC method, using the ribosomal gene 16S as an internal control (primers 534/385). Twelve fecal samples were analysed: three controls and nine irradiated. Our experiment showed fold changes in all analyzed taxa with all radiopharmaceuticals, but results were more significant with I-131, ranging from 1.87–83.58; whereas no relevant differences were found with Tc-99m and Ra-223, ranging from 0.98–1.58 and 0.83–1.97, respectively. This study corroborates limited existing research on how ionizing radiation changes the gut microbiota composition, providing novel data regarding the ex vivo effect of radiopharmaceuticals. Our findings justify the need for future larger scale projects.
- Occupational exposure to nanoparticles: a case study in a ceramic industryPublication . Fernandes, Ana; Santos, Joana; Alberto Alves Carvalhais, CarlosOccupational exposure to nanoparticles is considered as an emerging risk, with tendency to increase. Nanoparticles can reach the human body through several ways, causing damage on workers’ health. This study aims to assess the occupational exposure to nanoparticles in a ceramic industry, through the Control Banding NanoTool-2.0 method.
- UVMove: Disinfection robotPublication . Terroso, David; Sousa, João; Fernandes, Ana; Lázaro Jacob, Frederico; Silveira, António; Guimarães, Pedro; Marques, Maria ArcelinaHomes are an environment where many human activities take place, leaving them exposed to infections and other diseases, putting at risk the health of its residents, especially those who have a more fragile health [1]. Infection through the floor presents a high risk of contamination, and can occur through vomit, blood, feces, and waste that humans or pets may carry into the house [2], [3].The development of this project started with the idealization on how to reduce the number of infections occurred with origin on the floor, without the use of chemical products that can lead to intoxication of children and negative consequences for the environment [4]. Then, many ideas came up but only the imple mentation of a robot with minimal human contact remained, which led to the UVMove. It is a small size robot capable of disinfecting the floor where it operates, without the use of water or chemicals, dedicated only to the automatic dis infection with ultraviolet radiation. However, room for improvement is left, changes that could not be done with the available resources, like improving the disinfection effectiveness and its battery autonomy, with possible implementation in hospitals and houses, in the future.