Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-08"
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- The effectiveness of NIRS technology to the early diagnosis of lower limb ischemia in patients on peripheral VA ECMO: A systematic review and meta-analysisPublication . Coelho, Raquel; Tavares, Joana; Marinheiro, Catarina; Costa, Carina; Ferreira, Simão; Gregório, Tiago; Ferreira, SimãoAcute lower limb ischemia is a major complication of peripheral venoarterial ECMO, significantly impacting patient outcomes and survival rates. Traditional methods for assessing limb perfusion, such as physical exams and Doppler ultrasound, are often unreliable and do not provide continuous monitoring. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a non-invasive technique, shows promise for perfusion monitoring in venoarterial ECMO patients, but its effectiveness in the early detection of limb hypoperfusion remains unreviewed. Evaluate the effectiveness of NIRS technology in the early diagnosis of lower limb ischemia in patients undergoing peripheral VA ECMO. The search strategy covered five databases. Inclusion criteria included studies in Portuguese, English, Spanish, or German involving participants aged 18 or older dependent on peripheral VA ECMO. The intervention assessed was limb perfusion monitoring using NIRS in VA ECMO patients. The primary outcome was the effectiveness of NIRS in the early diagnosis of limb ischemia. Exclusion criteria included review articles, book chapters, books, editorials, conference papers, and studies on pediatric patients, central VA ECMO, or venovenous ECMO. Study quality was evaluated using the ROBINS-I tool. Meta-analysis was performed using R package meta. Narrative synthesis was applied when meta-analysis was unfeasible. Of 180 studies, 164 were excluded after initial screening. Of the remaining 16 studies, eight were removed for irrelevance, high bias risk, or pediatric focus, leaving eight studies. The results revealed a pooled sensitivity of the diagnostic method of 0.71 (95% CI: [0.67, 0.74]) and a pooled specificity of 0.68 (95% CI: [0.61, 0.74]). NIRS technology is an effective diagnostic tool for reliably detecting true positive cases of limb ischemia.
- Eco‑friendly cleaning agent applied for ex situ remediation of beach sand contaminated with crude oilPublication . Santos, Adriana Vieira dos; Santos, Verena Filgueiras Borges dos; Fernandes, Virgínia Cruz; Figueiredo, Sónia Adriana; Grosso, Clara; Delerue‑Matos, Cristina; Simonelli, George; Santos, Luiz Carlos Lobato dos; Fernandes, VirgíniaCoastal oil spills cause significant adverse effects, and removing weathered crude oil mixed with sand remains a considerable challenge. To address this, an environmentally friendly cleaning agent was formulated using a vegetable oil-based microemulsion for sediment cleaning. The relationship between microemulsion composition and its efficiency in cleaning oil-contaminated sediments in coastal environments was investigated. Component selection followed criteria of low toxicity and high biodegradability, including pine oil as the oily phase, distilled water as the aqueous phase, saponified coconut oil as the surfactant, and isopropyl alcohol as the cosurfactant. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed using a cosurfactant/surfactant ratio of 10. The microemulsified cleaning agents were characterized and optimized using Scheffé's simplex lattice design, with refractive index, viscosity, conductivity, and specific gravity as response variables. Biodegradable microemulsion systems were successfully applied to remediate oil-contaminated beach sand, where higher proportions of the oily phase, specifically 30% and 60%, demonstrated excellent oil removal performance. The remediation process effectively incorporated the crude oil contaminant into the oily phase of the microemulsion, achieving a maximum removal efficiency of 90%. Additionally, the microemulsion exhibited stability for 30 days and maintained efficiency for up to five reuse cycles. This study highlights the potential of environmentally friendly microemulsions derived from vegetable oils for effective remediation of beach sand contaminated with crude oil, particularly through in situ soil washing or soil flushing, reinforcing the viability and sustainability of these cleaning agents.
- Exploring employee retention practices in the Portuguese hospitality industryPublication . Martins, Dora; Borges, Debora; Silva, SusanaThe recent developments in the hospitality industry and the overall economy following the recent pandemic, demonstrate a need for a new examination of how job seekers perceive hospitality jobs. The hospitality industry plays a major role in the Portuguese economy, contributing greatly to employability in Portugal. This study seeks to characterise talent retention in hotel units located in the Greater Porto region, one of Portugal’s main tourist regions. Based on a qualitative methodology, using an exploratory study, 10 semi-structured interviews were carried out involving human resources management professionals. The results suggest that professional factors are the determining factors in talent retention, specifically job satisfaction, organisational commitment, leadership and the work environment. This study provides some ideas for retention practices, centred on the perspective of human resources managers, on how to maintain the professional satisfaction of teams and reinforce their desire to continue in the hotel industry. This paper also includes the theoretical and practical implications of the findings as well as outlines the limitations and further research.
- Confined RuP2 Nanoparticles in N,P,S-tridoped Carbon as Superior Electrocatalyst for pH-Wide Hydrogen EvolutionPublication . Yu Sun, Haibo Li, Suyuan Zeng, Rui Li, Qingxia Yao, Hongyan Chen, Yinghua Wang, Konggang Qu, Lijian Meng
- Healthy and safe environments across occupational and environmental contexts: A holistic perspectivePublication . Carvalhais, Carlos; Pereira, Cristiana C.; Santos, JoanaAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), “good health depends on clean air, a stable climate, and a preserved natural environment, as well as access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene. It also requires protection from harmful radiation, unsafe chemical management, and unhealthy working conditions. A healthy environment could prevent nearly a quarter of the global disease burden”. In line with this, environmental health is defined as the science that “addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviors. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments”.
- O sangue dos inocentes pelos olhos dos ímpios: entre fobias e cegueiras ideológicasPublication . Rodrigues, Ricardo; CARDOSO RODRIGUES, RICARDO ALEXANDREDesde quando abandonamos os rostos e as suas lágrimas? Desde quando vibramos com a morte, com a dor e o sofrimento alheios? Quantos e quantas deixamos prostrados, deixamos para trás? Haverá corpos, identidades e famílias mais dignos; culturas e religiões, per se, sacralizáveis, condenáveis, demonizáveis ou impuras; “enfermos” menos merecedores de cuidados? Desde quando os nossos “eus” se tornaram pontos de referência para os “eus” dos outros? Onde moram as nossas ancestralidades e as nossas descendências nas narrativas e nos discursos? Desde quando nos concebemos produtos acabados? Desde quando deixamos de reconhecer o estrangeiro que habita em nós? Que partes do outro entendemos por estranhas? Quanto de estranho consideramos relevante para a sua desumanização? E nesse espaço de não ser, quanto valeria a sua dor e o seu sofrimento; como significar as suas lágrimas, perdas e lutos; qual a medida certa; como mensurar; qual a fórmula exata? Seria bastante uma simples perceção; uma singela perceção forjada numa singela manchete; de qualquer agência ou veículo? Uma perceção pelo valor de uma vida?Desde quando abandonamos os rostos e as suas lágrimas? Desde quando vibramos com a morte, com a dor e o sofrimento alheios? Quantos e quantas deixamos prostrados, deixamos para trás? Haverá corpos, identidades e famílias mais dignos; culturas e religiões, per se, sacralizáveis, condenáveis, demonizáveis ou impuras; “enfermos” menos merecedores de cuidados? Desde quando os nossos “eus” se tornaram pontos de referência para os “eus” dos outros? Onde moram as nossas ancestralidades e as nossas descendências nas narrativas e nos discursos? Desde quando nos concebemos produtos acabados? Desde quando deixamos de reconhecer o estrangeiro que habita em nós? Que partes do outro entendemos por estranhas? Quanto de estranho consideramos relevante para a sua desumanização? E nesse espaço de não ser, quanto valeria a sua dor e o seu sofrimento; como significar as suas lágrimas, perdas e lutos; qual a medida certa; como mensurar; qual a fórmula exata? Seria bastante uma simples perceção; uma singela perceção forjada numa singela manchete; de qualquer agência ou veículo? Uma perceção pelo valor de uma vida?