Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2018"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 779
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- A review of exposure assessment methods for epidemiological studies of health effects related to industrially contaminated sitesPublication . Hoek, Gerard; Ranzi, Andrea; Alimehmeti, Ilir; Ardeleanu, Elene-Roxana; Arrebola, Juan-P; Ávila, Paula; Candeias, Carla; Colles, Ann; Cerasela Cris, Gloria; Dack, Sarah; Demeter, Zoltán; Fazzo, Lucia; Fierens, Tine; Fluckiger, Benjamin; Gaengler, Stephanie; Hanninen, Otto; Harzia, Hedi; Hough, Rupert; Laszlo Iantovics, Barna; Kalantzi, Olga-Ioanna; Karakitsios, Spyros P.; C. Makris, Konstantinos; Martin-Olmedo, Piedad; Nechita, Elena; Nicoli, Thomai; Orru, Hans; Pasetto, Roberto; Pérez-Carrascosa, Francisco Miguel; Pestana, Diogo; Rocha, Fernando; Sarigiannis, Dimosthenis A.; Teixeira, João Paulo; Tsadilas, Christos; Tasic, Visa; Vaccari, Lorenzo; Iavarone, Ivano; de Hoogh, KeesBACKGROUND: this paper is based upon work from COST Action ICSHNet. Health risks related to living close to industrially contaminated sites (ICSs) are a public concern. Toxicology-based risk assessment of single contaminants is the main approach to assess health risks, but epidemiological studies which investigate the relationships between exposure and health directly in the affected population have contributed important evidence. Limitations in exposure assessment have substantially contributed to uncertainty about associations found in epidemiological studies. OBJECTIVES: to examine exposure assessment methods that have been used in epidemiological studies on ICSs and to provide recommendations for improved exposure assessment in epidemiological studies by comparing exposure assessment methods in epidemiological studies and risk assessments. METHODS: after defining the multi-media framework of exposure related to ICSs, we discussed selected multi-media models applied in Europe. We provided an overview of exposure assessment in 54 epidemiological studies from a systematic review of hazardous waste sites; a systematic review of 41 epidemiological studies on incinerators and 52 additional studies on ICSs and health identified for this review. RESULTS: we identified 10 multi-media models used in Europe primarily for risk assessment. Recent models incorporated estimation of internal biomarker levels. Predictions of the models differ particularly for the routes 'indoor air inhalation' and 'vegetable consumption'. Virtually all of the 54 hazardous waste studies used proximity indicators of exposure, based on municipality or zip code of residence (28 studies) or distance to a contaminated site (25 studies). One study used human biomonitoring. In virtually all epidemiological studies, actual land use was ignored. In the 52 additional studies on contaminated sites, proximity indicators were applied in 39 studies, air pollution dispersion modelling in 6 studies, and human biomonitoring in 9 studies. Exposure assessment in epidemiological studies on incinerators included indicators (presence of source in municipality and distance to the incinerator) and air dispersion modelling. Environmental multi-media modelling methods were not applied in any of the three groups of studies. CONCLUSIONS: recommendations for refined exposure assessment in epidemiological studies included the use of more sophisticated exposure metrics instead of simple proximity indicators where feasible, as distance from a source results in misclassification of exposure as it ignores key determinants of environmental fate and transport, source characteristics, land use, and human consumption behaviour. More validation studies using personal exposure or human biomonitoring are needed to assess misclassification of exposure. Exposure assessment should take more advantage of the detailed multi-media exposure assessment procedures developed for risk assessment. The use of indicators can be substantially improved by linking definition of zones of exposure to existing knowledge of extent of dispersion. Studies should incorporate more often land use and individual behaviour.
- Epidemiologia das Infeções Fúngicas Superficiais em Portugal: revisão de 3 anos (2014-2016)Publication . Rato, Margarida; Costin, Adelina; Furtado, Constança; Sousa, Cristina; Toscano, Cristina; Veríssimo, Cristina; Trindade, Felicidade; Tavares Almeida, Filipa; da Cunha Velho, Glória; Catorze, Goreti; Raposo, Inês; Selada, Joana; Ferreira, João A.; Batista, Judite; Santos, Luís; Sereijo, Manuel; Silva, Manuela; Apetato, Margarida; Sanches, Maria; Costa-Silva, Miguel; Filipe, Paulo L.; Santos, Paulo; Fonseca, Pedro D.; Mascarenhas, Rosa; Bajanca, Rui; Lopes, Virgínia; Lewis, Viviana; Duarte, Maria da Luz; Galhardas, Célia; Anes, MargaridaIntrodução: As infeções fúngicas superficiais são as dermatoses infeciosas mais frequentes e a sua incidência continua a aumentar. Os dermatófitos são os principais agentes causais apresentando, contudo, uma distribuição geográfica variável. Material e Métodos: O presente estudo teve como objetivo a caracterização epidemiológica das infeções fúngicas superficiais diagnosticadas nos Serviços/Unidades de Dermatologia pertencentes ao Serviço Nacional de Saúde Português entre janeiro de 2014 e dezembro 2016 através da análise retrospetiva dos resultados das culturas realizadas durante esse período. Resultados: Foram estudados 2375 isolamentos, pertencentes a 2319 doentes. O dermatófito mais frequentemente isolado foi o Trichophyton rubrum (53,6%), tendo sido o principal agente causal da tinha da pele glabra (52,4%) e das onicomicoses (51,1%). Relativamente às tinhas do couro cabeludo, globalmente o Microsporum audouinii foi o agente mais prevalente (42,6%), seguido do Trichophyton soudanense (22,1%). Enquanto na área metropolitana de Lisboa estes dermatófitos foram os principais agentes de tinha do couro cabeludo, nas regiões Norte e Centro o agente mais frequente foi o Microsporum canis (58,5%). Os fungos leveduriformes foram os principais responsáveis pelas onicomicoses das mãos (76,7%). Conclusão: Os resultados deste estudo estão globalmente concordantes com a literatura científica. O Trichophyton rubrum apresenta-se como o dermatófito mais frequentemente isolado em cultura. Na tinha do couro cabeludo, na área metropolitana de Lisboa, as espécies antropofílicas de importação assumem particular destaque.
- Health impact assessment (HIA) and health in environmental assessments – Enhancing HIA practice in PortugalPublication . WHO Regional Office for EuropeTo further support development of HIA in Portugal, the Ministry of Health of Portugal together with the National Health Institute of Doctor Ricardo Jorge initiated organization of a workshop within the Biennial Collaborative Agreement (BCA) with WHO EURO office in Bonn, Germany. The workshop convened in Lisbon, at the National Health Institute of Doctor Ricardo Jorge on November 13-15, 2017.
- Analysis, Identification, and Quantification of Anthocyanins in Fruit JuicesPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Silva, M.A.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.Anthocyanins are naturally present in a wide range of plant foods, and are usually associated with the orange, pink, red, violet, and blue colors of fruits, such as berries, plums, cherries, pomegranates, citrus fruits, among others. Juices produced from fruits, especially berries, such as black currants, elderberries, chokeberries, or sour cherries, are a source of vitamins and other compounds, such as anthocyanins. High- or ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography techniques coupled with diode array detection or mass spectrometry detection, are by far the most widely used techniques for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of anthocyanins in fruit juices. Anthocyanin content in fruit juices can be used as quality control parameters to check authenticity. Significant differences can be found for anthocyanin content in the same type of juice, but the profile of anthocyanins should be similar.
- Familial Hypercholesterolemia study in dyslipidemic children and adolescents: “Like father, Like son”Publication . Gomes; Abreu, S.; Bourbon, M.; Pinto, F.Aim: The _ompound_d_otic process begins in childhood and despite the estimated incidence of 1/500 in Portugal, Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is one of the most underdiagnosed causes of accelerated atherosclerosis leading to premature cardiovascular death.
- Apresentação Unidade de Avaliação Externa da Qualidade (UAEQ)Publication . Faria, Ana PaulaÁreas de trabalho da Unidade, incluindo a colaboração com os Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa (PALOP) - Programa Nacional de Avaliação Externa da Qualidade (PNAEQ), objetivo: comparação dos resultados laboratoriais dos participantes com os seus pares ao longo do tempo, a fim de obter i) maior segurança no diagnóstico, tratamento e monitorização de patologias; ii) aumento da qualidade laboratorial e diminuição da variabilidade dos resultados. Cooperação com os Países de Língua Portuguesa - Objetivo: Aplicação das boas práticas laboratoriais de modo à obtenção de resultados exatos e precisos que contribuam de forma efetiva para o diagnóstico e tratamento dos doentes.
- Relatório de atividades 2017Publication . Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, IP; Correia, Ângela; Sanches, SusanaO presente instrumento de gestão do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) relativo a ano de 2017 tem três grandes objetivos: 1) Averiguar a concretização do Quadro de Avaliação e Responsabilização (QUAR) e do Plano de Atividades (PA) de 2017, nomeadamente, avaliar a estratégia assumida através dos seus objetivos estratégicos, verificando o grau de realização dos programas e dos objetivos operacionais que foram propostos nestes documentos; 2) Disponibilizar informação institucional relativa à execução do orçamento, à alocação de recursos humanos, financeiros e técnicos; 3) Demonstrar quantitativa, e qualitativamente, a informação relativa às funções essenciais do Instituto, aos Departamentos Técnico Científicos (DTC), ao Museu da Saúde e aos Serviços de Suporte.
- 1º Workshop sobre Biomonitorização Humana em Portugal: síntese do encontroPublication . Silva, Maria João; Lavinha, JoãoRealizou-se no passado dia 11 de maio de 2018 o 1st HBM-PT, tendo reunido no Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), em Lisboa, mais de oitenta participantes da Academia, Indústria, Saúde Ocupacional e Regulamentação, entre outros. O Encontro partiu da iniciativa do conjunto de parceiros que constituem o denominado National Hub (NH-PT) para o projeto “Human Biomonitoring Initiative - HBM4EU” que inclui a Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, I.P. (INSA), Direção Geral da Saúde (DGS) e Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, I.P. (APA), em colaboração com a Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa (FMUL) e Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde Lisboa (ESTeSL), Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa. Este primeiro Workshop visou juntar investigadores reguladores, público em geral e outros atores-chave para discutir a contribuição da biomonitorização humana para as políticas de saúde e ambiente e para a avaliação de risco para a saúde humana. Para além disso, pretendeu informar as partes interessadas acerca do projeto HBM4EU, incluindo aspetos relevantes, tais como a sua estrutura e as atividades já desenvolvidas durante o primeiro ano do projeto ou a desenvolver futuramente. Nesta síntese os autores pretenderam oferecer uma visão geral do evento, através de um breve resumo das apresentações dos oradores convidados e dos temas abordados pelo painel de discussão tecendo ainda algumas considerações finais sobre o evento.
- 4-Hydroxy-2-Alkenals: a Potential Toxicological Concern of Vegetable Oils?Publication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.4-hydroxy-2-alkenals, namely 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) are secondary lipid oxidation products of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. An overview of the current knowledge about HNE and HHE in vegetable oils, including factors influencing their formation, health effects, analytical approaches, as well as mitigation strategies and future challenges are discussed. During the last years, an increased attention is being paid to these mutagenic, cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds. Due to their high reactivity and implication in numerous undesirable reactions, they can be linked with several diseases and medical conditions. Vegetable oils were identified as one of the major sources of these compounds, becoming a potential toxicological concern for public health. Up to now, the fatty acids composition, time, temperature and type of frying, as well as different processing conditions were evaluated in order to find a relationship with the presence of these hazardous compounds in vegetable oils. With respect to mitigation strategies to reduce the occurrence of HNE and HHE in vegetable oils, atmospheres with low oxygen content during frying, carbon dioxide blanketing as well as addition of phenolic compounds to the vegetable oils were studied. In the near future, it is important to exploit other conditions to explain the different amounts reported for the same type of vegetable oil from different origins, as well as to evaluate realistic conditions of frying, especially the presence of food, frying equipment and temperatures, among others.
- BabA-mediated adherence of pediatric ulcerogenic H. pylori strains to gastric mucins at neutral and acidic pHPublication . Quintana-Hayashi, Macarena P.; Rocha, Raquel; Padra, Médea; Thorell, Anders; Jin, Chunsheng; Karlsson, Niclas G.; Roxo-Rosa, Mónica; Oleastro, Mónica; Lindén, Sara K.Helicobacter pylori infection can result in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD), peptic ulcer disease (PUD), adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. H. pylori reside within the gastric mucus layer, mainly composed of mucins carrying an array of glycan structures that can serve as bacterial adhesion epitopes. The aim of the present study was to characterize the binding ability, adhesion modes, and growth of H. pylori strains from pediatric patients with NUD and PUD to gastric mucins. Our results showed an increased adhesion capacity of pediatric PUD H. pylori strains to human and rhesus monkey gastric mucins compared to the NUD strains both at neutral and acidic pH, regardless if the mucins were positive for Lewis b (Leb), Sialyl-Lewis x (SLex) or LacdiNAc. In addition to babA positive strains being more common among PUD associated strains, H. pylori babA positive strains bound more avidly to gastric mucins than NUD babA positive strains at acidic pH. Binding to Leb was higher among babA positive PUD H. pylori strains compared to NUD strains at neutral, but not acidic, pH. PUD derived babA-knockout mutants had attenuated binding to mucins and Leb at acidic and neutral pH, and to SLex and DNA at acidic pH. The results highlight the role of BabA-mediated adherence of pediatric ulcerogenic H. pylori strains, and points to a role for BabA in adhesion to charged structures at acidic pH, separate from its specific blood group binding activity.