Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2015-02"
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- Literacia em Saúde e utilização dos serviços de saúdePublication . Gonçalves, Ana Margarida; Pimenta, Rui; Oliveira, AlexandraA Literacia em Saúde define-se como o conjunto de habilidades cognitivas e sociais que determinam a motivação e a capacidade dos indivíduos para obter, compreender, avaliar e aplicar a informação de forma manter e promover uma vida saudável. Para além disso promove um uso mais eficiente dos serviços de saúde disponíveis, tendo impacto a nível social, tendo vários estudos demonstrado que o nível de Literacia em Saúde, está relacionado com os cuidados de saúde, hospitalizações, medidas globais de saúde e algumas doenças crónicas (Nutbeam, 2000). Este trabalho tem como objetivo medir a Literacia em Saúde da população da região norte de Portugal tendo sido baseado no primeiro European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU). A amostra é constituída por 253 indivíduos que responderam às versões portuguesas do HLS-EU e do Teste Newest Vital Sign. Os nossos resultados mostram que os valores de Literacia em Saúde na região norte de Portugal são baixos e quando comparados com os resultados da literacia adequada dos restantes países europeus, o norte de Portugal apresenta valores inferiores. Por sua vez, o teste NSV mostrou que 57,7% da amostra apresentou índices de Literacia em Saúde adequada. Observou-se também que existe uma associação entre o índice de Literacia em Saúde obtida pelo HLS-EU e o índice de Literacia em Saúde dado pelo teste NSV, a idade, a escolaridade e a opção de medicamentos genéricos. Não se verificou uma associação significativa entre a Literacia em Saúde e o IMC, as dificuldades financeiras, a utilização do SNS e a automedicação. Torna-se assim necessário a definição de estratégias políticas que contribuam para incrementar a Literacia em Saúde da população Portuguesa.
- Characterization of workers’ noise exposure of Portuguese industryPublication . Lopes, A.M.; Pinto, Edgar; Laranjeira, P.; Rebelo, M.; Oliveira, P.This study aimed to characterize the industrial workers’ noise exposure. The analysis was carried out using data from noise exposure assessment bulletins, prepared under the Prevenir program. This study covered eight sectors of Portuguese industry. The results showed that the sectors with higher levels of noise are the metallurgy and metalworking and also the wood and furniture. The quieter sectors are the textile and clothing industry, jewellery and watchmaking and chemical industry. Regarding the attenuation provided by hearing protection available to workers from the evaluated industries, the vast majority use earplugs with excessive attenuation.
- Perceptions of music students about the effects of loud music and protective practicesPublication . Rodrigues, Matilde; Silva, Mariana; Silva, Paula; Gomes, Rui; Prior, Ana; Ignacio, OctavioAs with professional musicians, also students can be exposed to dangerous sound pressure levels in the course of their academic activity, which can result in hearing damages. However, there are very few studies focused on the problem of music students’ exposure to loud music, particularly about the students’ perceptions and behaviours. In view of this, this study attempts to analyse the perceptions of the students about loud music risks, as well as to characterize their preventive behaviours and health effects. To analyse this issue, a questionnaire was developed and applied to music students of a secondary school. 123 students participated in the study. The results showed that most of students perceive ensemble classes and group study as noisy. However, several students assessed the sound levels in the different classes and in the additional study as low or moderate. Brass and percussion were identified as the noisiest instruments and strings were perceived as producing low and moderate sound pressure levels. The results also showed that only a part of the students were concerned with the health effects related to the exposure to high sound levels and the majority reported do not use hearing protection, since they never tried to use it or they seen it as non-necessary. The findings of this study showed that music students are not entirely aware of the risks associated with the exposure to high noise levels in the course of their practice and a strategy to improve protective behaviours need to be implemented in the music schools.
- Step based physical activity guidelines for preschool-aged childrenPublication . Vale, Susana; Trost, Stewart G.; Duncan, Michael J.; Mota, JorgeObjective Public health organizations recommend that preschool-aged children accumulate at least 3 h of physical activity (PA) daily. Objective monitoring using pedometers offers an opportunity to measure preschooler's PA and assess compliance with this recommendation. The purpose of this study was to derive step-based recommendations consistent with the 3 h PA recommendation for preschool-aged children. Method The study sample comprised 916 preschool-aged children, aged 3 to 6 years (mean age = 5.0 ± 0.8 years). Children were recruited from kindergartens located in Portugal, between 2009 and 2013. Children wore an ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer that measured PA intensity and steps per day simultaneously over a 7-day monitoring period. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the daily step count threshold associated with meeting the daily 3 hour PA recommendation. Results A significant correlation was observed between minutes of total PA and steps per day (r = 0.76, p < 0.001). The optimal step count for ≥ 3 h of total PA was 9099 steps per day (sensitivity (90%) and specificity (66%)) with area under the ROC curve = 0.86 (95% CI: 0.84 to 0.88). Conclusion Preschool-aged children who accumulate less than 9000 steps per day may be considered Insufficiently Active.
- An FPGA-embedded oscilloscope based on the IEEE1451.0 Std.Publication . Costa, Ricardo; Pinho, Diogo; Alves, Gustavo R.; Zenha-Rela, MárioDigital oscilloscopes are adopted in several areas of knowledge, in particular in electrical engineering, since they are fundamental for measuring and classifying electrical signals. Thanks to the proliferation of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), embedded instruments are currently an alternative solution to stand-alone and modular instruments, traditionally available in the laboratories. High performance, low cost and the huge flexibility to change functional characteristics, make embedded instruments an emerging solution for conducting electrical experiments. This paper describes the project and the implementation of a digital oscilloscope embedded in a FPGA. In order to facilitate their control, an innovative architecture is defined according to the IEEE1451.0 Std., which is typically used to develop the denominated smart transducers.
- N-acetyl-β -d-glucosaminidase activity in feral Carcinus maenasexposed to cadmiumPublication . Mesquita, Sofia Raquel; Ergen, Şeyda Fikirdeşici; Rodrigues, Aurélie Pinto; Oliva-Teles, M. Teresa; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Guimarães, LauraCadmium is a priority hazardous substance, persistent in the aquatic environment, with the capacity to interfere with crustacean moulting. Moulting is a vital process dictating crustacean growth, reproduction and metamorphosis. However, for many organisms, moult disruption is difficult to evaluate in the short term, what limits its inclusion in monitoring programmes. N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase) is an enzyme acting in the final steps of the endocrine-regulated moulting cascade, allowing for the cast off of the old exoskeleton, with potential interest as a biomarker of moult disruption. This study investigated responses to waterborne cadmium of NAGase activity of Carcinus maenas originating from estuaries with different histories of anthropogenic contamination: a low impacted and a moderately polluted one. Crabs from both sites were individually exposed for seven days to cadmium concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 2000 μg/L. At the end of the assays, NAGase activity was assessed in the epidermis and digestive gland. Detoxification, antioxidant, energy production, and oxidative stress biomarkers implicated in cadmium metabolism and tolerance were also assessed to better understand differential NAGase responses: activity of glutathione S-transferases (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) glutathione reductase (GR), levels of total glutathiones (TG), lipid peroxidation (LPO), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH). Animals from the moderately polluted estuary had lower NAGase activity both in the epidermis and digestive gland than in the low impacted site. NAGase activity in the epidermis and digestive gland of C. maenas from both estuaries was sensitive to cadmium exposure suggesting its usefulness for inclusion in monitoring programmes. However, in the digestive gland NAGase inhibition was found in crabs from the less impacted site but not in those from the moderately contaminated one. Altered glutathione levels were observed in cadmium-treated crabs from the contaminated site possibly conferring enhanced tolerance to these animals through its chelator action. Investigation of enhanced tolerance should thus be accounted for in monitoring programmes employing NAGase as biomarker to avoid data misinterpretation.
- Sertraline accumulation and effects in the estuarine decapod Carcinusmaenas: Importance of the history of exposure to chemical stressPublication . Rodrigues, Aurélie P.; Santos, Lúcia H.M.L.M.; Ramalhosa, Maria João; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Guimarães, LauraSertraline is widely prescribed worldwide and frequently detected in aquatic systems. There is, however, a remarkable gap of information on its potential impact on estuarine and coastal invertebrates. This study investigated sertraline accumulation and effects in Carcinus maenas. Crabs from a moderately contaminated (Lima) and a low-impacted (Minho) estuary were exposed to environmental and high levels of sertraline (0.05, 5, 500 μg L−1). A battery of biomarkers related to sertraline mode of action was employed to assess neurotransmission, energy metabolism, biotransformation and oxidative stress pathways. After a seven-day exposure, sertraline accumulation in crabs’ soft tissues was found in Lima (5 μg L−1: 15.3 ng L−1 ww; 500 μg L−1: 1010 ng L−1 ww) and Minho (500 μg L−1: 605 ng L−1 ww) animals. Lima crabs were also more sensitive to sertraline than those from Minho, exhibiting decreased acetylcholinesterase activity, indicative of ventilatory and locomotory dysfunction, inhibition of anti-oxidant enzymes and increased oxidative damage at ≥0.05 μg L−1. The Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) index indicated their low health status. In addition, Minho crabs showed non-monotonic responses of acetylcholinesterase suggestive of hormesis. The results pointed an influence of the exposure history on differential sensitivity to sertraline and the need to perform evaluations with site-specific ecological receptors to increase relevance of risk estimations when extrapolating from laboratory to field conditions.
- Impact of boiling on phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of green vegetables consumed in the Mediterranean dietPublication . Vinha, Ana F.; Alves, Rita C.; Barreira, Sérgio V. P.; Costa, Anabela S. G.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P. P.The effect of boiling (10 minutes) on eleven green vegetables frequently consumed in the Mediterranean diet was evaluated. For that, some physicochemical parameters and the contents of vitamin C, phenolics and carotenoids, as well as the antioxidant activity, were determined in raw and boiled samples. The raw vegetables analysed in this study were good sources of vitamin C, carotenoids and phenolic compounds, with contents ranging from 10.6 to 255.1 mg/100 g, 0.03 to 3.29 mg/100 g and 202.9 to 1010.7 mg/100 g, respectively. Boiling promoted losses in different extensions considering both the different bioactive compounds and the distinct vegetables analysed. Contrary to phenolics (more resistant), vitamin C was the most affected compound. Boiling also originated significant losses in the antioxidant activity of the vegetables. Considering all the parameters analysed, the vegetables most affected by boiling were broccoli and lettuce. The least affected ones were collard and tronchuda cabbage.
- Detection of Arah1 (a major peanut allergen) in food using an electrochemical gold nanoparticle-coated screen-printed immunosensorPublication . Alves, Rita C.; Pimentel, Filipa B.; Nouws, Henri P.A.; Marques, Raquel C.B.; González-García, María Begoña; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.; Delerue-Matos, CristinaA gold nanoparticle-coated screen-printed carbon electrode was used as the transducer in the development of an electrochemical immunosensor for Ara h 1 (a major peanut allergen) detection in food samples. Gold nanoparticles (average diameter=32 nm) were electrochemically generated on the surface of screen-printed carbon electrodes. Two monoclonal antibodies were used in a sandwich-type immunoassay and the antibody–antigen interaction was electrochemically detected through stripping analysis of enzymatically (using alkaline phosphatase) deposited silver. The total time of the optimized immunoassay was 3 h 50 min. The developed immunosensor allowed the quantification of Ara h 1 between 12.6 and 2000 ng/ml, with a limit of detection of 3.8 ng/ml, and provided precise (RSD <8.7%) and accurate (recovery >96.6%) results. The immunosensor was successfully applied to the analysis of complex food matrices (cookies and chocolate), being able to detect Ara h 1 in samples containing 0.1% of peanut.
- Measurement of upper-limb joint angular kinematics: A comparative study in manual and semi-automated assembly linePublication . Abreu, Ana Betty; Santos, Joana; Baptista, JoãoAssembly lines are the production system mostly used in industry in order to achieve higher production rates. Thus, workstations are getting more automated and operators tend to perform highly dynamic repetitive movements. As the work demands increase the biomechanical load of the soft tissues of the upper-limbs are also intensified. The operator’s exposure to this work-related risk factor is a probable cause for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The main purpose of the study is to measure the range of motion of the upper-limb articulation of subjects in the same workstation in two different assembly lines when performing assemble work. For the data collection was used an inertial measurement system Xsens MVN BIOMECH. The data indicates that the operators have similar range of motion in the upper-limb articulation. It was possible to verify that the subjects in study perform repetitive movements and tend to adopt the work method defined.